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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24329413">Crossroad of Infinity: Origins; Part 1, "Alone"</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ciestess/pseuds/Ciestess'>Ciestess</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Crossroad of Infinity [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Crossroad of Infinity - Fandom, Dracula &amp; Related Fandoms, Dracula - Bram Stoker, Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alien Character(s), Dimension Travel, Fantasy, Gen, Science Fiction, copyleft</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 06:00:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>30,527</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24329413</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ciestess/pseuds/Ciestess</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In a reality far from this one, a dimensional traveler prepares a young girl to take their place.<br/>In the world of Dracula, that same girl's friends prepare to betray her for their own gain.</p>
<p>With all of Infinity to explore, the girl, "Ciestess," searches for paradise.<br/>Finds family and friends.<br/>But still feels ALONE.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I guess I'll have to remind them that one should always be cautious...<br/>"When dealing with a Demon-eater."</p>
<p>
  <em>[This work is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyleft#cite_note-1">Copyleft</a>. You may use, copy, share, and modify this work -- with the condition that the same rights be preserved in any derivative work created from it.]</em>
</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Crossroad of Infinity [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1777738</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, after over a year of “helping” her -- after hiring professional editors and everything… Tess has decided to post our story FOR FREE.</p>
<p>… And I can’t even really blame her. Not with everything going on. She’s always had a soft heart, despite what she may think, and something on this scale… It was only a matter of time before she tried to do something to ease other peoples’ pain.</p>
<p>*sigh* Welp. I should probably introduce myself officially. I’m Noctu, Ciestess’s… “sibling” I guess you could call me. I’m an energy being that shares her physical form and travels with her through dimensions. I’m also one of the narrators of the story posted below.</p>
<p>“Crossroad of Infinity: Origins” is our way of introducing ourselves to you: Ciestess, the owner of this blog; Noctu, me; and Xihrae, a lovably annoying bastard you haven’t had the (dis)pleasure of meeting yet. Part 1, “Alone” focuses mostly on Ciestess herself. Part 2, “Family,” focusing on yours truly, will be the next in the series. Then Part 3, “Friends” will wrap things up with the story of how Xihrae came to join our group.</p>
<p>One chapter of Part 1 will be posted each week, most likely until all 28 chapters are available (unless Ciestess changes her mind, but I doubt I’ll be able to convince her). If you wish to know more about this series, you can check out <a href="https://crossroadofinfinity.com/">our website</a>.</p>
<p>With all that out of the way,<br/>Pleasant Reading</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div><p class="OpenT">Ok, let me admit something right off the bat: I’ve wondered more than a few times whether I actually remember anything about my <em>early</em> childhood at all.</p>
<p class="Tess">Yeah, see, I might’ve just made it all up from pieces of different lives I’ve lived in other worlds. And since I can’t go back and check,  I’ll probably never have an answer, either.</p>
<p>But the early childhood I’ve “imagined” <strong>is real enough to me</strong>.<br/>
And it was pretty good. I <em>think</em> my parents both cared about me, that I never went hungry or was abused, and that I got to do a lot of things I loved.<br/>
Sure, my parents were a little over-protective, and they didn’t understand me, like… <em>at all</em>.</p>
<p>But it’s not like they could have, anyway.</p>
<p>I dunno. Maybe it’s just the rose-tinted glasses, since I can’t actually remember things like what their jobs were, what their names were, what they looked like… But what’s the point in questioning it?</p>
<p>I just…<br/>
I <em>can’t</em> see the point in fighting or fearing what I can’t change. I never have.</p>
<p>And if it makes me happy, then I REALLY don’t see the point!</p>
<p>And remembering the <em>good</em> parts of my homeworld? THAT makes me happy!<br/>
So I’m going to start off this tale by indulging myself.</p>
<p>Now, I only have the memories stored in the First Memory Crystal to go by. Which, yes, is vastly better than my “memories” of my early childhood, but I wasn’t exactly expecting to <em>continue living</em> after dying in my homeworld. So, while admittedly <em>better</em> (and I’ll give a brief “thank you” to Noctu, that loveable pseudo-demon, for showing me I remembered more than I realized), my memories of my homeworld still aren’t all that <em>detailed</em>.<br/>
Also, my homeworld was ruled by vastly different laws of physics compared to this world, so, while I’m going to do my best to explain and translate, please keep those things in mind, haha!</p>
<p>First off, we didn’t have a name for our world, per-say -- at least, not one I can translate beyond “our world.”<br/>
So I’ve chosen to call it <em>“Illunira.”</em> After how it glowed.</p>
<p>It was cold. There was no sun to warm it -- in fact, there was no outer space at all! Instead, the heat from the center of the planet spread to the surface through lava, and our sky looked out upon a different dimension.<br/>
Plants grew in that lava, and our sky- that <em>dimension</em>? … It looked like a <em>prism</em>.</p>
<p>There were no seasons. No day or night.<br/>
Instead, we told time by the changing of the crops: the Planting, Growing, Harvest, and Rest.<br/>
We sowed our crops in spots where large amounts of life-sustaining, silver-colored lava came to the surface. I’m going to call these “volcanoes,” but they didn’t erupt like the ones here do. They only spilled out and bubbled with lava.<br/>
Our cities and towns formed around these volcanoes. However, never too close. Too close and we burned.</p>
<p>Well… <em>some of us</em>.</p>
<p>There were three species of intelligent beings: the Anima, the Florus, and the Symbi; and the Florus were able to live closest to the volcanoes, as they were plant-like beings (though, of course, sentient and mobile).</p>
<p>I say they were “plant-like,” but… Illunira’s “plants” more resembled <em>flexible crystals</em> than any vegetation from this world. But, unlike crystals, they glowed with energy siphoned directly from the lava. They were what transformed that energy into something that could sustain life -- much like how plants <em>here</em> do with sunlight.<br/>
And <em>this</em> was how the Florus “ate” -- <em>directly from the lava</em>. However, since they lost the energy they siphoned rather quickly, they could never stray far from a source of their “food.” (In this way, perhaps they were more like reptiles that couldn’t let themselves get too “cold”?)</p>
<p>In contrast, the Symbi, clusters of single-celled beings that worked together to form larger “communities,” stayed far away from the blustering warmth of the lava. It would easily kill some of their members.<br/>
Far from being crystalline, the Symbi were more like living, coordinated plasma; they only had a solid form or shape when they <em>wanted</em> to. And, as I understood it, it took quite a bit of effort to do so. So they rarely did.</p>
<p>The Symbi gained energy from…<br/>
… Huh. Y’know, I don’t think I ever saw them feed -- but then, how could I? They were far too small. They almost seemed self-sustaining, in that way. Although I know they couldn’t have been.</p>
<p>The Anima, essentially humanoid beings, were something between the two. We were beings that couldn’t feed from the lava, nor get too close to it, like the Symbi. We held a more solid, crystal-like structure like the Florus, yet we also flowed with formless plasma internally, allowing us greater freedom of movement and separation from our energy-sources than them.<br/>
We seemed able to feed off of almost anything that wasn’t the lava itself: smaller creatures, the “plants,” and even some…<br/>
I’m honestly not sure what they were, but there were these floating, excess energy… <em>things</em> that we could absorb.</p>
<p>… Perhaps that’s what the Symbi ate…?</p>
<p>Regardless -- All of us glowed. All of us lived together, fed one another. Ruled over and under each other.<br/>
All of us had souls. And, when our bodies inevitably died, all of us became the <strong>Dead Ones</strong>.</p>
<p>The Dead Ones... those whose <em>physical</em> bodies had died, lived on as <em>beings of pure energy</em> in the outer atmosphere -- inside the divide between Illunira and the dimension surrounding it.<br/>
Though, only for a limited time.<br/>
Only until their energy ran out.</p>
<p>This dimension I call “Prizmal” because it looked -- and <em>still</em> looks -- like a prism from a distance.<br/>
Some believed Prizmal to be the afterlife, while others insisted it was what fed the planet’s core with energy. Either way, only the Dead Ones -- who had solely <em>prizmal</em> bodies, without any material elements -- were allowed to travel there. Anyone else would die so far from the planet’s heat.</p>
<p>I know because they tried, once.<br/>
How could they do that, you may wonder?</p>
<p>Because we floated.</p>
<p>We weren’t tied down to the land.<br/>
All of us: Anima, Symbi, Florus -- <em>anything that wasn’t a plant</em> -- floated and flew.</p>
<p>Because everything that lived there was only ever half-made of matter.<br/>
And the other half was energy.<br/>
So we floated.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I said everything glowed, but it wasn’t a bright place.<br/>
On the contrary, it was quite dark! But that darkness just made every light seem to shine that much <strong>brighter</strong>!</p>
<p>Small animals would skitter across pools of silvery lava, sparkling against it and any other reflective surface. Sometimes you’d see a light come up from under the non-glowing, pitch-black ground to reveal a tiny nose. Or you’d see a mass of similar-shaped flames rushing in one direction and, on closer inspection, realize it was a herd or pack of some larger creatures traveling together. Sparks would flicker in the sky, alone or in droves, looking for smaller sparks to swallow.</p>
<p>All of it against the empty darkness of the ground below, or the shattered, diffused light of Prizmal and the Dead Ones above.</p>
<p>Darkness and light extending in every direction, like a sea of living and moving neon signs on a starless night.<br/>
Everything glowed. All so many different colors.</p>
<p>… I miss how colorful it was there.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div><p class="OpenN">When Ciestess arrives in our new world, her first thought is something completely pointless.</p>
<p class="Tess"><em>&lt; Cold… I’m cold again…</em><br/>
<em>&lt; … I HATE the cold. &gt;</em></p>
<p>Tess knew she’d be cold. She starts off cold almost every time she arrives in a new world.<br/>
And yet she always acts surprised by it each time.</p>
<p>She’s lying down. I can feel grass and dirt underneath our new body.<br/>
So she’s outside, then.</p>
<p>There’s something poking her side, maybe a twig or rock. It hurts, but not enough to make her move yet, apparently. Always so careless about her health, I swear…</p>
<p>She opens her eyes. There’s a tree trunk in front of her. A forest, then?<br/>
Ah, there we go -- she sits up.<br/>
Not just a forest. She’s on a mountain.</p>
<p>She gives a long-suffering sigh. <span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Why can’t my body ever form with clothes on? No matter how many times it happens, it never gets any less <strong>annoying</strong>.</em><br/>
<em>&lt; Noctu isn’t bugging me yet, at least. &gt;</em></span> Oh yeah? Looks like it’s time for Xihrae’s present!</p>
<p>I send the information our newest companion’s gathered into her brain, and her head <em><strong>throbs</strong></em> all the way to the eye sockets. <span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Jeez! C’mon, man, <strong>really</strong>?! I get making sure I’m prepared, but this is <strong>too much</strong> information! Now I’m cold AND I have a headache! It’s like I studied for over a hundred tests in </em><strong>five minutes</strong><em>!!! &gt;</em></span><br/>
One hand goes up to her head, the other to the ground to help keep her steady. She’s swaying, the world spins… <span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Ooooh, my head! I’m gonna be sick! I need a distraction -- anything but the <strong>pounding</strong> in my skull! &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>She looks <em>outward</em> for a distraction, while <em>inside</em> her new brain synthesizes the rush of information and experiences about this world.<br/>
She starts at her toes. This new body seems to be humanoid, as Tess prefers. Similar, in its basic form, to her original body, and the kind of form she’s been in for the past few worlds.<br/>
Working to stand, she gets her feet under her, wobbling in the unfamiliar gravity, nervous system, and bodily proportions.<br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; I’m… maybe average size for its age? Still smaller than I’d like. &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; What were you expecting, &gt;</em></span> I interrupt her thoughts, <span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; when starting out at prepubescence? &gt;</em></span><br/>
As her gaze moves up, I notice several differences about this body.<br/>
It has fangs, I can feel a strength like iron in every muscle, and, although it’s night, she can see for miles in every direction.</p>
<p><span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Greeeaaat. And just when my head finally stops pounding, I’m interrupted by yet another annoyance; as usual, I’ve arrived hungry. <strong>Be-a-utiful</strong>. &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Well, yeah. A new body doesn’t come with a full stomach any more than it does with clothes. &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Although… Wait, I’m hungry for-? &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; -Yep! And on that note, Xihrae knew you’d be interested in this the moment he heard about it. &gt;</em></span> I point out a specific set of information in her head. <span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; The world’s last vampire. Until <strong>you</strong> showed up, anyway. &gt;</em></span><br/>
She’s started grinning without even realizing it. <span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Aww, you two! Always spoiling me~! You really know how to brighten a girl’s mood! &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>Now used to her newest flesh prison, she stretches her new <strong>prizmal</strong> body a bit. It seems that, while Prizmal itself is far from connected to the material aspects of this world, her own prizmal body can interact with any matter it touches.<br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Well. Having to drink blood isn’t exactly ideal, but, hey!- &gt;</em></span> The ground underneath her turns to shadow, then spreads up and envelopes her. <span class="Tess"><em>&lt; -at least I can make my own clothes, for once! &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>She just makes a simple black dress. No need for anything fancy.</p>
<p>And no time, either.<br/>
She hears something approaching -- a LOT of somethings.</p>
<p>She stretches her eyesight. <span class="Tess"><em>&lt; In the bushes. Is that…? -No way! &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Oh, no. &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>She lets out a little scream of delight, <span class="Tess">“Ah! Wolfies!”</span><br/>
She doesn’t love wolves NEARLY as much as <strong>vespers</strong>, but they are definitely up there on her “favorite animals” list. …Which means I’m gonna be stuck listening to her blather on about them the whole time we’re in this world.</p>
<p>Tess thanks her new body for its instincts as she transforms into a flock of bats, each only about two inches long, to get a closer look. She dodges through tree limbs and around foliage, and if I had a face, I’d cringe at the handful of times she crashes. We find a surprise when she reaches the nearest one.<br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; JEEZ, it’s huge! I’d almost forgotten how <strong>big</strong> wolves are! &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Actually… &gt;</em></span> I do a quick calculation, relating the size of the wolf to the nearby elements, <span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; It’s bigger than average by approximately- &gt;</em></span></p>
<p><span class="Tess"><em>&lt; -Yeah, whatever -Don’t care -CUTE! &gt;</em></span><br/>
But karma must exist here, because the wolf notices her, snapping at the air with enormous, drooling, teeth-filled jaws-<br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; -Bigwolf,lotsofdrool,bigjaws,MANYTEETH! &gt;</em></span> She had also, apparently, forgotten how freaking <em>high</em> they can jump, because she only barely dodges in time. <span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Hey! That’s no way to treat a new guest! &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; … Was that meant to be out lou-? &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; I know, I know. I’m currently still </em>ba-<em> &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; -Because bats can’t talk, y’kno-! &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; -Shut up! I’m doing well for only, like… 5 minutes in! &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Haha! ~Whatever makes you feel better, sweetie~! &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>She finds a nice-sized branch above the creature and transforms back to her humanoid fleshiness- and pauses to listen. <span class="Tess"><em>&lt; … Rustling? -Oh. It’s packmates! 1, 2, 3… &gt;</em></span> They stalk out of the trees slowly. There’s maybe ten of them, all growling and barking at her, their eyes reflecting the moonlight.<br/>
She purses her lips. <span class="Tess"><em>&lt; … No. No, this just won’t do. They are all far too cute to have angry at me.</em><br/>
<strong><em>&lt; I want to pet them, dammit!</em></strong></span></p>
<p><span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Alright… <strong>Deep breath</strong>. &gt;</em></span> Oh! She’s about to start a hypnotizing song. I always <strong>love</strong> watching this part! I tune in more deeply to the senses of her body, trying to feel what she feels. The wind gusts, filling our nose with the scent of autumn-<br/>
-When one of them starts howling.</p>
<p>The others all join in -- it’s <em>SO <strong>LOUD!</strong></em></p>
<p>We cover our ears, cringing in pain and realizing, belatedly, that <em>of course</em> Tess’s hearing is more sensitive than Xihrae’s! <em>All</em> of her senses are more sensitive than his!<br/>
But still… Listening past the pain, it’s a rather beautiful noise… Almost a shame to interrupt.</p>
<p>But, in the shadows of the trees on the other side of the small clearing -- a new audience member is watching. So it’s time to <em>put on a show</em>.<br/>
We take another breath.<br/>
The wind slows.<br/>
And Tess sings.</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>It takes a couple minutes to have an effect. But slowly, the howling stops.<br/>
Once every wolf is silently staring at her, she jumps down -- a fall that would have broken both of Xihrae’s legs, yet she barely feels it.<br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Well well. You finally get a body that isn’t as fragile as PAPER for once! &gt;</em></span> I jab at her. It’s an exaggeration… But, more to my <strong>own</strong> annoyance than her’s, only <em>barely</em>.</p>
<p>The wolves approach her, blocking any escape. They’re large enough, and Tess small enough, that they can look her in the eyes. They sniff her -- then start licking her and pounding the ground with their paws.<br/>
Tess grins widely, uncontrollably. <span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Aaaww! A group of giant predators, <strong>acting like I’m their leader</strong>?!</em></span></p>
<p><span class="Tess"><em>&lt; So cute! &gt;</em></span><br/>
She scratches behind the nearest wolf’s ears. <span class="Tess">“<strong>Who’s</strong> a dangerous predator! <strong>Who’s</strong> a good giant puppy!?”</span></p>
<p>“...” As she’s having the time of her short-lived life, her mysterious audience member decides to show himself. He steps out from beneath a nearby pine, the shadows clinging to him -- then dispersing as he pulls away from them, evidently having only been held in place by his presence.<br/>
An old man, almost twice Tess’s height. Wrinkled face, white hair reaching past his shoulders. Matching long white mustache and goatee. Dressed in a clearly expensive suit. Eyes the color of blood.</p>
<p>… And fangs poking out of his smile.<br/>
He’s clapping with skeleton-like hands -- and chuckling.</p>
<p>The last vampire.</p>
<p>The name Xihrae had saved for her surfaces in her mind. <span class="Tess"><em>&lt; This must be </em>“Dracula.”<em> &gt;</em></span><br/>
Along with the name comes one of Xihrae’s <em>master plans</em>, solidifying itself step-by-step inside her head. Having watched him form it, I vouch for it; in this case, it (probably) isn’t a setup for some kind of chaos.</p>
<p>Still, it’s not impossible for him to hide information from me. And yet, despite my doubts, <em>despite the number of times he’s tricked us</em>, Ciestess insists upon trusting him! I just don’t understand…<br/>
But. Even if I don’t agree, I… Well. <strong>Tess</strong> has decided to trust him.</p>
<p>So, I’ll let it slide. For now.</p>
<p>Having reviewed her course of action, Tess braces herself to play the long-game.<br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Well, then. Time to put on my best innocent act. &gt;</em></span> Aaah! A show I love even more than her singing: Watching the effects of her aura on <em>brand new souls</em>!<br/>
Fumbling, she extracts herself from the mountain of paws, tongues, and wagging tails. <span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Time to make a good impression. &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>She twists and fidgets her hands in front of her, makes her eyes go wide, eyebrows tilted up and in, the corners of her mouth tilted down -- and many other microexpressions, adding up to an overall fearful and guilty appearance.<br/>
She squeaks out, <span class="Tess">“I’m s- I’m so sorry for trespassing! -”</span><br/>
-But he interrupts her apologies, “I’ve never seen my wolves take so well to an outsider.”<br/>
His voice is deep, but not as deep as I had expected.</p>
<p>He stops clapping, folding his hands behind him as he walks towards her. The wolves move out of his way quickly, sitting at attention on either side of his path like soldiers. Even the ones near her stop playing to stand and watch him, their ears and eyes trained on him, tails low and unmoving.<br/>
Dracula only stops once he’s within arms reach of Tess, staring down with a calm, intrigued expression.</p>
<p>And that’s all he does, for a few moments. His eyes bore into hers.<br/>
Then-</p>
<p>“How did you learn such an ability?”<br/>
Still feigning nervous energy -- hands fidgeting, feet shifting -- she replies, holding eye contact, <span class="Tess">“I was… born with it. I think?”</span><br/>
“You think?” Nothing has changed, yet the tension coming from him is palpable.<br/>
Pursing her lips, Tess breaks the eye contact and rubs her arm.</p>
<p>“What is your name?”<br/>
She looks back up at him. His expression still hasn’t changed.</p>
<p>She breaks eye contact yet again, looking to the right of him.<br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Innocence. <strong>Ignorance.</strong> &gt;</em></span> Trying to appear as though she’s struggling to remember -- eyebrows furrowed, mouth tense -- Tess replies slowly, <span class="Tess">“Ci… Cies…?”</span> Then, as she looks back at him, she says her name with confidence.<br/>
<span class="Tess">“Ciestess.”</span></p>
<p>His eyes narrow slightly -- but his head tilts just a little. <span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Good, good… Come on… &gt;</em></span><br/>
“Your accent. You are from… far from here, yes?”<br/>
She regains her uncertain, “thinking” pose and doesn’t answer.<br/>
He waits patiently for a bit, then asks, “Where are you from, miss Ciestess?”<br/>
She transitions to feigning slight anxiety -- eyes wide, eyebrows tilted back up. Looking back at him, she replies, <span class="Tess">“I… I don’t…”</span></p>
<p>He doesn’t miss a beat.<br/>
“How did you get here?”</p>
<p><span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Yes! He’s falling for it. Time to seal the deal! &gt;</em></span><br/>
She looks down at the ground, wraps her arms around herself and starts shaking -- which isn’t hard, since she’s still cold. <span class="Tess">“I don’t know. I- … How did I…? Wh-”</span> Tess looks back up at him, eyes even wider. <span class="Tess">“Where… am I?”</span></p>
<p>He considers Tess for a few moments, eyes narrowed even further. Yet, he almost seems to be grinning, slightly. <span class="Tess"><em>&lt; If he thinks <strong>he’s</strong> playing <strong>me</strong> -- <strong>EVEN BETTER!</strong> &gt;</em></span><br/>
“Do you have anywhere to stay? Anyone you’re travelling with?”<br/>
She looks back at the ground, shoulders hunching slightly, and, after a couple of beats, shakes her head.</p>
<p>It only takes a couple more moments before it happens:<br/>
“Why not come inside? You can stay with me. Until we find where you belong.”</p>
<p>His hand enters her line-of-sight -- he’s holding it out for Tess to take.<br/>
She looks back up at him.<br/>
With power in his voice, he says, “<strong>I insist.</strong>”</p>
<p>Outwardly, Tess hesitantly takes his hand -- still shaking and wide-eyed.<br/>
Inwardly -- <strong>she’s struggling not to grin</strong>.</p>
<p class="Tess">
  <em>&lt; Hook, line, and sinker! &gt;</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="center">
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</div><p class="OpenN">Dracula is leading Tess to his castle, the wolves following along and disappearing into the trees along the way, one-by-one.</p><p class="Noctu">Tess’s eyes widen as she lifts her gaze, following the structure up to the tips of its pitch-black spires. It’s enormous; but of course it is.<br/>
Technically, he’s <em>still</em> nobility.</p><p><span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Could it look any more like a villain lair if he tried? &gt;</em></span><br/>
Tess is struggling not to smile. <span class="Tess"><em>&lt; I LIKE it! &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Ha! Of <strong>course</strong> you do. &gt;</em></span></p><p>He leads her through an iron gate, then up to the heavy oak front doors. He opens them as easily as if they were made of paper.<br/>
He pauses. He hasn’t glanced at Tess the entire time, and he still doesn’t now. He looks left, right, up… Perhaps deciding where to take her next?<br/>
The entryway fits perfectly with the impression given from the outside: an elegant castle, beautiful tapestries and metals covered in dust, tall staircases leading to winding corridors…</p><p>I take advantage of his hesitation to ask Tess whether there is anyone inside.<br/>
She stretches her senses, searching for unnatural sounds, smells, auras, body heat…<br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; ... Doesn’t seem to be… Aside from Dracula. &gt;</em></span></p><p>Dracula’s cape whips into motion in Tess’s peripheral vision, and he closes the door behind him with a flick of his wrist. The impact rings through the entire castle -- if anyone <em>is</em> inside, they know we’re here.<br/>
He’s already walking.<br/>
Doing her best to show a fear she doesn’t feel, Tess scampers after him, still shivering. It’s no warmer inside than out in the snow, but at least there’s no wind.</p><p>Dracula stops outside a random door somewhere in the middle of the giant building. He pushes it open with a loud creak, and a small fireplace lights itself inside.<br/>
“You may stay here for now. I’ll prepare a more proper room for you tomorrow night, but the daylight approaches.”<br/>
He edges out into the hallway as if to leave -- then stops.<br/>
“... Sleep well.”</p><p>He disappears into a cloud of mist. Wait, no-<br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; -Did… Did he just <strong>turn himself</strong> into mist?! … Can <strong>you</strong> do that?! &gt;</em></span><br/>
Tess tries for a moment, her form shifting and squirming. <span class="Tess"><em>&lt; ... No. &gt;</em></span><br/>
Filled with a mixture of disappointment and excitement, Tess crawls into the queen-sized bed and falls asleep.</p><p>But not for long.</p><p>Her body wakes her a few hours later, veins burning and fangs aching.<br/>
She sighs. <span class="Tess"><em>&lt; That’s what I get for not eating before I went to sleep. &gt;</em></span></p><p>Tess opens the creaking door as quietly as possible, flying as bats to the front door. She reaches for the handle -- then stops.<br/>
Sunlight is peaking through a window on her left. She steps toward it, reaches her hand out. Three more inches… Two… One…</p><p>… It doesn’t burn her.<br/>
<span class="Tess">“…”</span></p><p>The front door opens for her, although not as easily as it did for Dracula. She eases it back into place once outside. The sun is high in the sky. Tess’s eyes ache at its brightness, but that’s all the light burns.<br/>
She transforms once again, flying high above the castle and mountains. Eager to experience physicality, I take advantage of this golden opportunity by controlling half of the bats, and we search for some sign of civilization. We soon find a small village past a valley, and Tess spots a farmer napping in the shade of a tree…</p><p>…<br/>
Her hunger was <em>ravenous</em>. I had to pull her away from her meals several times, or risk villagers dying from blood loss.</p><p>It’s evening by the time Tess makes it back to the castle. And Dracula is awake.<br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Y’know, it’s these “inconsequential” moments that give me anxiety. Xihrae, you jerk! &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Xihrae"><em>&lt; You called? &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Just because the larger outcomes won’t be affected, that doesn’t mean there won’t <strong>be</strong> an effect! Include ALL the relevant information!!! &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Xihrae"><em>&lt; Hey now, the unknown is what keeps things </em>exciting<em>! &gt;</em></span></p><p>The sun peaks through the door as Tess enters. Dracula hisses, dodging the light. The two stand watching each other then, one in shadow, the other lit from behind.<br/>
Tess closes the door.</p><p>“... A dhampir, then…?” she hears him whisper. Then silence.<br/>
<span class="Tess">“... </span><br/>
<span class="Tess">“... I’m sorry for leaving without telling you. I just… I was so hungry, and…”</span><br/>
Dracula straightens. He walks forward. There’s… <em>something</em> in his voice. “It’s alright. I understand. And… I believe I know what happened to you, now.”<br/>
He looks down at her.</p><p>His expression is… gentle?</p><p>“Our kind… is feared by humans. And rightfully so. But for someone like you to be born…” He stops and glances away. “... There was a war. Many years ago. I… I believed I was all that was left, but…”<br/>
He closes his eyes, gathers his cloak around him, and meets Tess’s eyes again. “The only way a vampire can enter sunlight… is if they are only <strong>part</strong> vampire. A dhampir. And the only way a dhampir is born… is by the <strong>union</strong> of a human and a vampire.”</p><p>He shifts his grip on his cloak. And Tess spots something.<br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; His arm is shaking…? &gt;</em></span></p><p>“I very much doubt… that any humans who found out about… <strong>you…</strong> Well…” He turns away. “I believe I have a few guesses as to how you lost your memory. And none of them are pleasant. <strong>However!</strong>”<br/>
With a flourish of his cloak, and an angry growl to his voice, Dracula declares, “<strong>You are where you belong now, where no mortal may harm you! This, I swear!</strong>”</p><p>Tess’s face lights up.<br/>
Everything is falling into place.</p><p>Which means… it’s time for me to see The Bastard.</p><p> </p><p>Given her absence during the day, Dracula leaves Tess alone to regain a few hours sleep. So, with one vessel inoperable, I transfer to the other.<br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; You said you wanted to speak with me after Tess arrived? What for? … And where <strong>are</strong> you?! &gt;</em></span></p><p>Xihrae is perching on the edge of a cliff, most of his feet hanging off the edge, withheld from certain death only by his heels. But that wasn’t the unusual part.<br/>
I didn’t recognize the forest he was looking out at. How far could he have come in only one day?!</p><p><span class="Xihrae"><em>&lt; Oh, just exploring. We rode on a train yesterday, so I’m- &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; And like that, I’ve lost interest. <strong>Just get to the poi-</strong> &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Xihrae"><em>&lt; <strong>-Right</strong>, &gt;</em></span> He interrupts, having remembered, <span class="Xihrae"><em>&lt; you only have a few hours before Tess wakes up. &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; What does that have to do wi- &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Xihrae"><em>&lt; -How interested are you in learning this world’s Dark Magic? &gt;</em></span></p><p><span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; …</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; … What? &gt;</em></span></p><p><span class="Xihrae"><em>&lt; You know how I’ve been travelling with those nomads the past few years? Well, thanks to that, I’ve gotten to hear all kinds of rumor- &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Yes, yes, you’re <strong>always</strong> experiencing “rumors.” &gt;</em></span></p><p>Xihrae, like Tess and I, isn’t normal. He has a rare ability -- so rare, I’ve only ever seen similar ones in a few worlds. We call it “Temporal Gaze.”<br/>
He can see the memories that other souls will experience in the future. But not just ONE future -- <em>all possible</em> futures. He describes it like seeing a vast expanse of roads splitting off in different directions, so that the farther into the future he’s looking, the less he can see.<br/>
But he can only see <em><strong>others’</strong></em> futures. When used on himself, his Temporal Gaze allows him to see only his own <em>past</em>.</p><p><span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; What about it? &gt;</em></span><br/>
I can feel him grin, even though his face doesn’t move. And so, he lets the memories he’s seen -- other peoples’ memories -- flow into <em>my</em> consciousness. And I learn his <em>entire</em> plan.</p><p>… And his <em>offer</em>.</p><p><span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; <strong>ABSOLUTELY NOT!</strong> &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Xihrae"><em>&lt; Now, don’t be so hasty. When will you get an opportunity like this again? &gt;</em></span><br/>
My patience with Xihrae has always been short, but now it is even shorter. <span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Hm. I don’t know. You tell me. &gt;</em></span></p><p><span class="Xihrae"><em>&lt; Alright, I will. &gt;</em></span> He says, with the confidence of the <em>adrenaline-junky bastard</em> he is. <span class="Xihrae"><em>&lt; We’re never getting a chance like this again. &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; So I gathered. &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Xihrae"><em>&lt; Well… What I mean is -- we’ll get similar opportunities for pulling this </em>trick<em>. But that Black Magic? It’s one-of-a-kind! &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; I know that. Every piece of information IS. &gt;</em></span></p><p><span class="Xihrae"><em>&lt; Not. Like. </em>THIS<em>. &gt;</em></span><br/>
And he pulls up another image from his mind. An image of-<br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; !!! &gt;</em></span><br/>
He grins again. <span class="Xihrae"><em>&lt; That’s right. </em>HE’S<em> here. And </em>HE wants it too<em>. &gt;</em></span></p><p>I don’t need to say anything. And Xihrae doesn’t need to say anything more.</p><p>He knows. Xihrae, that bastard, knows I am <em><strong>IN</strong></em>.<br/>
If <em>HE</em> is looking for this information, then… Just how valuable…? Just how <em>unique</em> must it be…?!!!<br/>
No. I have to do this -- I HAVE TO GET THAT INFORMATION!</p><p>Nonetheless… I cringe. And I hesitate.</p><p>Because to go through with this…<br/>
<em>… It means betraying Ciestess.</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Shoutout to <a href="https://www.shadowquillsink.com/">ShadowQuillsInk</a> for helping edit this story.</p><p>They're a group of indie creators <em><strong>"devoted to bringing indie creators together in one place as a community and growing our talents." </strong></em> If you're a creator (especially an author) you should definitely go check them out! They provide free DIY writing tutorials on their site, too.</p><p>They're great editors and wonderful people. Give them a look if you can.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
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</div><p class="OpenT">In Illunira, our spirits, <strong>our auras</strong>, glowed so, <strong>SO many different colors!</strong></p><p class="Tess">From bright primary colors, to muddy browns, to dull grays… Some were so bright you could barely look at them, others so dark they almost looked black!</p><p> </p><p>But they weren’t just there to look pretty. All those different shades of color and light had a purpose: the color or quality of a person’s spirit signaled what “polarity” they belonged to.</p><p>The polarities were opposite, but connected, energies that could <strong>only</strong> be given off by living souls. They were all aspects of inner psychology, or the relations between people -- things soulless beings (at least, in Illunira) were incapable of having.<br/>
There were five total. You needn’t remember them all, but it <em>is</em> important that you understand the basics. So I’ll lay it out as simply as I can:</p><p> </p><p>The actual <em>colors</em> were, respectively, Yellow/Blue for the Order/Chaos polarity, Green/Purple for the Self/Others polarity, and Red/Cyan for the Emotion/Logic polarity.<br/>
The <em>qualities</em> of those colors were Saturated/Desaturated for Activity/Passivity, Light/Dark for Direct (action)/Indirect (action), and finally…</p><p>The one you DO need to remember: the <strong>Demonic/Angelic</strong> axis. Which didn’t have a color or quality, and which <strong>most people struggled to even detect</strong>.<br/>
Let alone <em>identify</em>.</p><p> </p><p>Everyone in my homeworld had one of these “spirit types,” but even more important than their polarity -- <em>was their “orientation.”</em><br/>
Because the orientation of their spirit identified what their prizmal body <strong>required to survive</strong>.</p><p>This part you <em>will</em> need to remember, but it’s already rather simple: A person could be either an absorber, an emitter, or a balancer of a specific color or quality. In order to live, absorbers needed to absorb a type of energy; emitters needed to emit a type of energy; and balancers needed to absorb a type of energy <em><strong>and</strong> emit its opposite polarity</em>.</p><p>Any orientation could be any <em>color</em>. But the same wasn’t true of <em>qualities</em>.<br/>
While almost everything WAS on a sliding-scale -- anyone extremely dark or desaturated was an absorber, anyone very saturated or light was an emitter…<br/>
<em>And anyone highest in the qualities of “</em><strong>demonic</strong><em>” or “</em><strong>angelic</strong><em>” energies -- </em><strong>WAS a balancer</strong>.</p><p>And if they were a balancer -- they were taken.<br/>
<em>Trained</em> by the Dead Ones to become their “lower-leaders.”</p><p><em>This</em> was how my possibly-imagined happy childhood <strong>ended</strong>.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
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</div><p>A person’s spirit type was identified during their childhood in a ceremony known as their “Emerging.” The outcome determined how the child would be educated for the rest of their youth. So serious an affair was it that every Emerging was performed by a Dead One.<br/>
They’d look into the child’s spirit extremely deeply, examine the balance of the colors -- of the Polarities -- until they identified the dominant traits, then, if needed, they’d feed the child each type of energy, waiting to see if it was absorbed, rejected, or… its <em>opposite</em> emitted.</p><p>I only remember one part of my Emerging clearly -- the single glance the Dead One took at me before identifying my spirit type.<br/>
A <em>demon-eater</em>. One of the two spirit types that were both loved and feared above all others.</p><p>Here I was, my neighbors’ beloved little innocent princess -- one of them. I can just imagine the thought in their heads the second they heard: “I should have known. She was just TOO likeable.” Because, you see, a demon-eater -- <em>I</em> -- absorb “demonic” energy and emit “angelic” energy.<br/>
<em>Whether I want to or not.</em></p><p>So, as long as those around me are unaware, I ca- ah…<br/>
… Nevermind.</p><p>Mercifully, I didn’t have long to dwell on the reactions of the people I’d grown up around. Demon-eaters were so rare -- and so feared and <strong>treasured</strong> by the Dead Ones -- that I was removed immediately for “training.”<br/>
I was thrust into an inescapable exercise I can only describe as Brainwashing and Loyalty 101.</p><p>I think the “Balancers’ Creed” just about says it all:<br/>
“Obey the Dead Ones in charge of you unquestioningly. Always scan the auras of those around you, making sure the environment remains peaceful. If you encounter an Unsalvageable -- or, worse, a Rebel -- capture them and send them to an Unsalv Civilization. However, if they are a balancer, True Kill them on-sight.”</p><p>Ah, yes, “Unsalvageables.” I doubt I need to explain what a “Rebel” was, but care to take a guess at what it meant for someone to be “unsalvageable?”</p><p>An “Unsalv” was anyone who was too high in two or more of these three colors: Green, Red, or Blue -- too Selfish and Emotional, too Emotional and Chaotic, or too Chaotic and Selfish. One of them was fine, they could be reasoned with through Order, Logic, or their care for Others. But if too high in either of the other two as well, they were likely to… “spread trouble.”<br/>
Of course, this meant  someone Active was <em>infinitely</em> more likely to be an Unsalv than someone Passive. Hard to be high in <em>any</em> two colors when your defining feature is being gray.</p><p>As for the meaning of “True Kill” -- well…</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>We finally get to hear from my predecessor, the previous Keeper of the Crossroad of Infinity! (Don't worry, this is the last narrator.)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
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    <span class="OpenM">
      <em>My goodness, it's been <strong>SO</strong> long since I’ve enjoyed a world this much!</em>
    </span>
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  <span class="Mentor">
    <em>I mean, I’m not normally one to care about aesthetics, but perhaps I should have tried this sooner!</em>
  </span>
</p>
<p>No sun, a highly volcanic planet, a decent government (for now, anyway), and a full selection of interesting non-sentient life!<br/>
And. It. Glows!<br/>
EVERYTHING GLOWS HERE!</p>
<p>I mean, of course it does. With no sun and all. These types of physics demand such an energy flow to sustain life.<br/>
It’s just… very … <em>appealing</em>.</p>
<p>Looking out at the environment and seeing all these colors:<br/>
The black earth.<br/>
The silvery, mirror-like lava.<br/>
The various neon plants…</p>
<p>All these colors shining off of animals’ bodies; their fur, skin, scales, exoskeleton -- all of it glistening like oil on water…</p>
<p>And best of all, the prizmal bodies of the Dead Ones, moving and shifting against Prizmal far up above the clouds like fireworks.<br/>
And the more physical bodies of the still-fully-alive Illunirans…! Glowing like rainbows and reflecting off the lava underneath!!!</p>
<p>How lucky you are, Future Heir, to have been born into such a wondrous world!<br/>
Though, heh… I guess I should say UNlucky, huh?</p>
<p>Well, regardless. <strong>I’m</strong> certainly enjoying this.<br/>
Not a bad choice for a world to go out on, if I do say so myself. It’s both comforting in its familiarity, and interesting in its alien aspects.</p>
<p>Y’know… It’s been so long since I’ve seen my own homeworld… I think some of these “alien aspects” feel more familiar to me now than the ones I was born into.<br/>
I wonder if that will happen to you someday? ...Probably.</p>
<p>…<br/>
Old habits die so hard. I want SO BADLY to just… <em><strong>shake things up</strong></em> in this world.<br/>
How would those unsuspecting pricks at the top react to an all-out civil war? To a new cult? To brand new, strange creatures messing up their ecosystem?! To-!</p>
<p>-Heh… But no. I can’t.</p>
<p>I may have given up fitting in during my travels, for the most part. Why bother, right? It’s not like I won’t get another chance to PLAY if I mess up.<br/>
But THIS time I actually have a goal -- one I really do only have one shot at. I’m not just here to sight-see.</p>
<p>Oh, how my stupid heart has inconvenienced me! Of all the times to have pity on someone!<br/>
But I <em>have</em> had pity on you, Future Heir. And, no doubt, I’ll never even hear a “thank you” for it, either.</p>
<p>Ugh…! Woe is me…!</p>
<p>Well, then, where to begin…<br/>
…<br/>
This really is a decent governmental system, actually, isn’t it?<br/>
With them making sure everyone is able to live in a certain level of comfort, I can easily relax and organize my thoughts for you to peruse later.<br/>
Very nice. Very nice, indeed.</p>
<p>Huh… Makes me wish I’d done some things differently back on…<br/>
No! I’m getting distracted again. Gah!</p>
<p>… Oh, well. Perhaps it will help to simply get it out of my system…?<br/>
…<br/>
Alright, fine, it’s a flimsy excuse to indulge myself and nothing more, but…</p>
<p>This is my <em>last</em> world! I intend to <em>enjoy</em> what little time I have left. Be grateful I chose to teach you <strong>anything</strong> at all!</p>
<p>These half-energy, half-matter worlds are so very preferable to their counterparts. Their level of unpredictability is <strong>unmatched</strong>! I can never fully guess how the interaction of the Great Energy Dimension and the essences of the intelligent life will affect the material aspects of these worlds-<br/>
When they are So. Very. <em><strong>Close</strong></em> to each other!</p>
<p>And having three separate intelligent species -- it increases that unpredictability-!<br/>
-Oh.</p>
<p>… Oh, dear… I, um…<br/>
… Perhaps I, ah… <em>Miscalculated…</em></p>
<p>Oh, I do hope you end up an Anima, Future Heir. Otherwise, ah… communication could be…<br/>
<em>Difficult</em>.<br/>
As much as I enjoy the challenge of trying to understand and empathize with them, I do not like the prospect of trying to communicate such complicated concepts as interdimensional travel and reincarnation to a plant-like florus or a single-celled symbi…<br/>
Such things require language, and language isn’t an option with them.</p>
<p>… Wait. What would it even be like for a symbi to become the Keeper? <em>Could</em> a symbi become the Keeper?!<br/>
I’ve never seen a symbi all on their own. In fact, I’m fairly certain they’re too small to see with the naked eye, so…?<br/>
Would its entire “community” become the Keeper? Or…? Oh, dear, oh dear…!</p>
<p><em><strong>Haugh</strong></em>! Well.<br/>
Too late now, I suppose.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p><strong>Update:</strong> The person who's doing the podfic for "Phantasma Magica" has agreed to make an audiobook for CofI!!! (They've also given me permission to share their name, now. She's "Em" from ShadowQuillsInk -- one of the editors of this story.) Look forward to that, and THANK YOU EM!!!  T^T</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Also, whenever the audiobook is complete, I'm thinking about turning it into a... would it be called a "video novel"...? I'm considering making a video by putting the audio to some drawings.</p>
<p>Would anyone be interested in that?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
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    <span class="OpenN">A few years have passed, now. This body is in its late-teens.</span>
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  <span class="Noctu">Yet it hasn’t even grown a <em>foot</em> in height.</span>
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<p>It’s early morning. The sun hasn’t yet risen, but its light peeks out from behind the mountains.</p>
<p>Xihrae and Tess are sitting at the table in the castle’s library, papers strewn all over every surface in vaguely-organized piles. So that Xihrae can read, we’ve lit every torch along the walls. It’s not painful, but the room is slightly too bright for Tess’s comfort. Much longer and she could get another headache -- something this form seems prone to.</p>
<p>“What’s all this?”<br/>
Tess flinches. <span class="Tess"><em>&lt; No, no, he’s not supposed to be here! I thought Drac was helping the maids hunt! &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>She glances up from the papers in her hands. <span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Gah, he must have gotten done early, somehow! I was so focused, I didn’t even hear the door open- &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; -Assuming Drac even opened it to <strong>begin</strong> with and didn’t, oh… just slip in underneath it using <strong>his mist form</strong>? &gt;</em></span> I jab at her, still trying to get her to ask Drac how he does that, but Tess is too nervous about Drac’s sudden entry to reply.</p>
<p>Despite having been hunting, he’s dressed in his usual <em>far-too-expensive-to-actually-be-<strong>practical</strong></em> robes. Tess drops her gaze back to the papers. We were hoping to keep this a secret for a bit longer. Things aren’t quite ready yet, but…<br/>
Oh well. Nothing to be done about it now.</p>
<p><span class="Tess">“It’s research. On the villagers.”</span><br/>
Tess sets the papers down, resigning herself to having to deal with an angry Drac. She looks up at him -- but he’s not looking at her anymore.<br/>
He’s glaring -- at Xihrae.<br/>
… Oh, no. He <strong>hates</strong> it when anyone enters his territory uninvited.</p>
<p>If I wasn’t so nervous, I might’ve taken control of Tess’s body to glare at Xihrae. The jerk probably -- no, he <em>definitely</em> planned this little scenario.<br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Damn you, you adrenaline-junky! &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>“And who, may I ask, is this?” His voice actually manages to send shivers down Tess’s spine. No small feat.<br/>
She swallows her nerves. <span class="Tess"><em>&lt; I must stay calm. This needs to work! &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess">“This is Xihrae.”</span> She glances at the human in question -- he’s not even paying attention, not worried at all.<br/>
Jeez… <em><strong>Typical</strong></em>. <span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; What, not enough of a high for you?! &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess">“He was with those travelling performers that visited a couple months ago. I… <strong>took a liking</strong> to him. And…”</span> She pauses and takes a breath. <span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Here goes, &gt; “-I knew he’d be useful.”</em></span></p>
<p>“Useful.” Drac finally turns his gaze back to her. “And how, precisely, is a <strong>human</strong> ‘useful’ to us?”</p>
<p><span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Drac is as stiff as a statue. &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Maybe I can still calm him down…? &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; ... Worth a shot. &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess">“The villagers are more likely to trust us if-”</span></p>
<p>“Why on this <strong>godforsaken</strong> planet would we need those <em>mortals</em> to <em>trust</em> us…?”</p>
<p><span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Well, uh… He’s not screaming yet, at least? &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Xihrae"><em>&lt; Sure, but your chances of calming him are slipping. &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Either be helpful, or stay out of this, jerk! &gt;</em></span></p>
<p><span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Jeez! How best to get him to listen…? ... Maybe appealing to practicality? &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess">“As the nearest supply of blood, it will be much easier-”</span><br/>
“Have you forgotten what I taught you?!”</p>
<p><span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Nope. &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Yeah, too late. Time to just <strong>ride</strong> it out. I’ll get my chance to talk eventually. &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>“They killed <strong>everyone</strong>! And I could do <strong>NOTHING</strong>!” His arms are waving, no longer held stiffly at his sides. “They cursed me -- <strong>trapped</strong> me in my own home! I had to sit here, on this pile of <em>dirt</em>, while my friends and family died in battle! The humans <strong>slaughtered</strong> us!”</p>
<p>He’s pacing now. His robes woosh and snap behind him as he moves. Xihrae still only has eyes for the papers on the table in front of him.<br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Hey. Jerkwad. I know we worked out your cover beforehand -- and I’m sure you’ve determined ~EvErYtHiNg  WiLl  WoRk OuT fInE~ -- but a little help <strong>WOULD STILL BE APPRECIATED</strong>! &gt;</em></span><br/>
The jerk just smirks. <span class="Xihrae"><em>&lt; No need. Tess hasn’t completed Dracula’s transformation yet, and this outburst will help speed that along. We need to gain more influence over him before we can execute the next step.</em></span></p>
<p><span class="Xihrae"><em>&lt; And besides… &gt;</em></span> He glances up at the angry, powerful vampire that’s on the verge of killing him, his smirk widening, <span class="Xihrae"><em>&lt; … Isn’t this FUN?! &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Remind me why I’m friends with you two psychos. &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; ~Because you love us~! &gt;</em></span> Tess chips in.</p>
<p>“You and I are all that’s left- and you are a mere <em>dhampir</em>! A powerful dhampir, yes. Perhaps even as powerful as a normal vampire -- but you are more frail than an average dhampir, <em>without</em>  a vampire’s immortality, and <em>incapable</em> of <em>ever <strong>fully</strong> turning</em>!”<br/>
He stops his pacing to lock his glare into her eyes. “And you wish to <strong>befriend</strong> the very creatures that <strong>caused</strong> this?! I thought the goal -- <em>OUR</em> mission -- was to <em>restore</em> vampires! Not <em>befriend</em> our <em><strong>enemies</strong></em>!”<br/>
Anger <em>rolls</em> off of him. His eyes are even glowing.</p>
<p><span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; <strong>Jeez</strong> he’s mad! &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; It </em><strong>is</strong><em> a bit of an overreaction. &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; A <strong>bit</strong>?! How do you put up with this?! &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>“Tell me, because I <em>truly</em> cannot comprehend why you would want to <em><strong>do</strong></em> such a thing!!!” Despite not strictly <em>needing</em> to breath, he’s out of breath from that outburst.<br/>
Tess lets him stand there, recovering, for a few moments before, voice as calm and confident as possible, she finishes her explanation.<br/>
<span class="Tess">“In order to increase our numbers, we first need a reliable food supply. If the villagers trust us, the benefits will be threefold: They’ll supply the consistent source of blood we’ll need, some of them may <strong>volunteer</strong> to be turned, and they may even help to <strong>hide</strong> us from other humans.”</span></p>
<p>She holds up some of the papers, <span class="Tess">“So I’ve been researching and planning the best ways to go about gaining their trust-</span><br/>
<span class="Tess">“-For example,”</span> she exchanges the papers in her hand for a folder, <span class="Tess">“many of the villagers seem to be falling ill lately. And many have died.”</span><br/>
She lowers her hand and holds his gaze. As her words have sunk in, his expression has become much less poisonous- though not exactly <em>calm</em>. <span class="Tess">“If they believed becoming vampires would cure these illnesses, why… we might even become <strong>heroes</strong> to ‘those  mortals.’</span><br/>
<span class="Tess">“If their own families were among our members,”</span> Tess lets herself grin, <span class="Tess">“I’ve no doubt they would be <strong>eager</strong> to provide us with <strong>ANYTHING we asked</strong>.”</span></p>
<p>The sounds of silence and Xihrae’s paper shuffling reign.<br/>
Dracula’s gaze goes unfocused as he thinks.</p>
<p>He starts pacing again.<br/>
And he paces.<br/>
And paces.</p>
<p>And stops.<br/>
His posture gradually relaxes.<br/>
He grins.</p>
<p>“Oh… Oh, I see. You’re not proposing an <em>alliance</em> with them,” he looks at her, “You’re not trying to <strong>reduce</strong> their fear -- why, you’re <em>increasing</em> it.”<br/>
He starts pacing again, hand to his chin, a finger <em>just</em> touching his lower lip. “Their lives would be in our hands, whether to turn them or not. Yes, if they became reliant on us… Why, we could use them as our very own <em>foot soldiers…</em>” He pauses, looks up -- and his eyes flash, “You’re trying to make them our <em><strong>loyal servants</strong></em>!”</p>
<p>Tess smiles. <span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Good. Yes, old buddy. That’s <strong>all</strong> we’re up to… &gt;</em></span><br/>
And of <em>course</em> that’s when Xihrae decides to join the conversation. Without even looking up from his papers he declares, <span class="Xihrae">“The plan would go even more smoothly if you joined us, Count.”</span></p>
<p>I use Tess’s body to glare at him after all.<br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; <strong>Noctu…</strong> &gt;</em></span> Tess thinks warningly at me, <span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Hey, at least he addressed Drac by his title. &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>Dracula sends Xihrae a disgusted, hateful glance -- which may as well have gone unnoticed by this idiot.<br/>
Tess takes back control and clears her throat, regaining Drac’s attention. <span class="Tess">“Actually, that <strong>would</strong> be helpful. They’ll be much more inclined to trust in someone they’ve met in-person.”</span><br/>
It’s almost imperceptible, but I notice Drac shifting in the way he does when he’s uncertain or uncomfortable: Just a slight movement of one shoulder.<br/>
Tess clarifies, <span class="Tess">“You needn’t do so <strong>often</strong>, just… <strong>special occasions</strong>. For example, when you agree to turn someone, perhaps you could… come to the gate and greet their families?”</span></p>
<p>He’s silent. Tess is as well, allowing him time to think.<br/>
“... Perhaps,” is all he replies -- before walking out of the room.</p>
<p><span class="Tess">“… I guess that’s the best I could hope for, for now. He doesn’t like change.”</span> When Xihrae doesn’t say anything in response, Tess glances at him. He’s grinning.<br/>
… Tess smirks.<br/>
Because if he’s grinning, then- <span class="Tess"><em>&lt; I have nothing to worry about. &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>A speck of guilt tries to rise high enough within my spirit for Tess to sense it, and I squash it back down.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <span class="OpenM">
      <em>Why?</em>
    </span>
  </p>
</div><p><span class="Mentor"><em>Why oh why oh WHY a demon-eater, of all things?! I mean, at least you’re an anima, but I’d’ almost have <strong>preferred</strong> you be a florus -- or even a <strong>symbi</strong>!</em></span><br/>
<span class="Mentor"><em>Why, at least then I wouldn’t have had to put up with such -- such…!</em></span></p>
<p>UGH!<br/>
I SWEAR! There is no concept more frustratingly irritating than government!</p>
<p>…<br/>
Okay, well, perhaps that’s not <strong>entirely</strong> true, but…<br/>
UGH!<br/>
Things are so much <strong>easier</strong> when I can be in charge! But since I’ll only disappear if my physical body dies, I can’t exactly become a Dead One.</p>
<p>Ooooh…! I’d say you owe me, if not for the fact that you will never have the opportunity to pay me back.</p>
<p>Oh -- WOE IS ME!</p>
<p>I know I said this was a rather decent governmental system -- and I MEANT that! -- but…<br/>
Ugh. NOTHING makes dealing with authority figures easier in ANY world, I swear!</p>
<p>And them being the Symbi just makes it MORE frustrating!</p>
<p>Alright…! Alright…<br/>
You can get through this… Just…<br/>
Remind yourself of the good things!</p>
<p>The Symbi are good leaders -- the system works. It’s just that they’re slow-<br/>
-No! No, they’re, um… <strong>Thorough</strong>.<br/>
Yes… Yes. Thorough.</p>
<p>Which is good! Them being… <strong>Thorough</strong>.<br/>
And, um… (c’mon, you can come up with something else)<br/>
… Impartial! Yeah.</p>
<p>… <strong>Yeah</strong>!</p>
<p>Yeah, the Symbi are unbiased in their rule over the Anima. The Anima are compassionate in their rule over the Florus. And the Florus are, um… <strong>motivated</strong> -- in their rule over the Symbi!</p>
<p>Right. Yeah.</p>
<p>… Ugh. This isn’t helping.</p>
<p>Am I in a mood? Perhaps I’m simply in a mood.<br/>
… No. I can’t even convince <strong>myself</strong> of that.</p>
<p>Ugh! Time to admit it to myself: <strong>I miscalculated</strong>.</p>
<p>Yes. It’s true, Future Heir. Even after an entire lifetime of studying how to navigate the Crossroad, mistakes are all but <strong>inevitable</strong>.<br/>
You see, then, why even my ice-cold heart had pity on you?</p>
<p>… Heh. I can hear some of my past loves mocking me for that statement. “Ice-cold?” they’d say, “When the source of this breakdown you’re having is--?!”</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>Heh…<br/>
Get used to having a broken heart, Future Heir. It’s the only kind you’ll ever have.<br/>
You’ll think you’ve gotten over it, and then it will start bleeding again the moment you see, for example, a brainwashed “peacekeeper” forced to murder an innocent child.</p>
<p>Haugh… <strong>Why?</strong><br/>
Why did you have to be a demon-eater?</p>
<p>… Why did my aim have to miss?<br/>
I wanted to live my final life in a peaceful world! I thought I’d aimed for the center of a peaceful portion of this world’s timeline -- <strong>not the END of its peace!</strong></p>
<hr/>
<p><span class="Tess">You may have figured this out by now, but the “lower-leaders” were just peacekeeper-soldiers trained by the Dead Ones. They didn’t really hold their own authority.</span><br/>
<span class="Tess">Well, they did, but… only as far as their -- <strong>our</strong> -- job entailed.</span></p>
<p>We were trained to keep the environment peaceful and, well, <em>balanced</em>. Because if an area became too over- or under-saturated in an energy type -- people could <em>die</em>.</p>
<p>Granted, balancers were the greatest threat to that balance.<br/>
If a balancer became too prizmally “hungry” for the energy type they needed, they would end up setting a Balancer’s Flame; anyone who came into contact with the balancer, and then anyone <em>they</em> came in contact with, and so-on, would become a breeding ground for the balancer’s energy type.</p>
<p>The Dead Ones did everything to avoid that disaster.<br/>
Not the least of which was inundating the balancers with mental blockages and conditioning against setting Flames.</p>
<p>So you see, balancers naturally held quite a lot of power, but, if anything, they were the lowest class of citizen.</p>
<p>… Hey, honest question: Can you call people “citizens” if there are no countries? ‘Cause there weren’t countries on my homeworld -- the Dead Ones ruled over all Illunira.<br/>
… Eh. Whatever, I guess. There <em>used</em> to be countries before I was born, but that was generations ago.<br/>
Before the “War of Instability.”</p>
<p>See, the reason balancers were so feared wasn’t just because of how powerful they were.<br/>
But because they used to be the ruling class.<br/>
Originally, every world leader was a balancer. But they started fighting over contradicting ideals and their desire for each others’ resources. (So, y’know. <strong>Typical</strong> reasons.)</p>
<p>The Symbi were the ones who came up with the new system -- as the name I picked for them might suggest, they were quite adept at “living in harmony.”<br/>
According to them, we needed unbiased rulers. And who better to be unbiased than the Dead Ones? After all, before this new system went into place, they weren’t even interested in <em>interacting</em> with the Illunirans -- before, they just wanted to live what remained of their time here in peace, floating above the clouds and… doing whatever it was they did up there in the atmosphere.</p>
<hr/>
<p><span class="Mentor">… I suppose</span> the saddest bit might be that this world’s government really does work quite well, otherwise -- having those who have no stake in Illunira’s affairs be in charge is quite ingenious. The “Dead Ones” themselves are just… <strong>Fascinating</strong>.<br/>
This same-world afterlife is one of those “alien aspects” I’ve grown quite fond of, but this is the first I’ve seen the two states-of-being interact so often.</p>
<hr/>
<p><span class="Tess">In retrospect,</span> it should’ve been obvious that the very act of bringing them in would create the very same biases that dooms <em><strong>every</strong></em> government to failure.</p>
<hr/>
<p><span class="Mentor">But…</span> That distance from the livings’ affairs has its drawbacks as well, of course. There’s always some catch in imperfect worlds like these.</p>
<p>Heh. I say “like these” as though I’ve ever managed to reach a perfect world! Here’s another piece of advice, Future Heir:</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span class="Tess">Although… I suppose I can’t say for sure that the balancers didn’t deserve to be treated the way the system treated them. I don’t really know what Illunira was like back then.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span class="Mentor">Don’t bother trying to reach a “perfect world.”</span>
</p>
<p><span class="Mentor">-It’s not that they don’t exist! They do!</span><br/>
<span class="Mentor">But since you originated from an IMperfect one --</span></p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span class="OpenT">… But I know what it turned into.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span class="OpenM">Trying to reach a “perfect” world will be <strong>impossible</strong>.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="center">
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  </p>
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<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <span class="OpenN">When I have no body of <em>my own</em> to measure it with, time moves both too slowly and too quickly.</span>
  </p>
</div><p>
  <span class="Noctu">For Tess, it’s only been a few years. For me, it’s been yet another short eternity.</span>
</p><p>Tess’s newest body is in its young-adulthood, and we’ve given up hope that she’ll grow any further. It’s daylight outside, and she’s asleep along with the rest of the castle. But, given that I don’t require sleep, Tess transformed part of her leg into a single bat so that I could… well, do whatever I pleased.</p><p>I’ve gotten bored of reading the selection in the castle, though. A break sounds lovely, as reading is difficult in a bat’s body, and I’ve not explored on my own for some time.</p><p>The wind is pleasantly soft. The sunlight still burns, but it is less annoying underneath the cover of the trees. The leaves rustle as I pass, and their shadows dance against the forest floor. The wolves are also sleeping, laying near each other and breathing slowly, eyes closed and unmoving. I pass them on my way to the village, wondering what they’re dreaming about.</p><p>The humans’ village doesn’t have many books, or information at all, really, for me to feed off of. Nor do the other villages nearby, and the larger town, “Bistritz,” is too far away to be worth flying to with such a small form. (And besides, a bat reading books? I’d be <em>asking</em> for someone to catch me!) But there is one human I can rely on to have a new offering for me: the local bookworm.<br/>
He returns with new books from the town at least once a month. And, while I could read whatever I desired by simply asking Tess to retrieve it from Bistritz, sometimes it’s worth trying something more… <em>random</em>.</p><p>… Or perhaps Xihrae is rubbing off on me. I shiver in disgust at the thought.</p><p>I fly higher as I near the bookworm’s house. He’s out doing his chores. Good.<br/>
I slip under a gap in the roof and crawl my way to his room. His newest book lies on top of his bed. It appears to be a fantasy. I’m less than thrilled by that, but I open it anyway, keeping one ear pointed at the door.</p><p>I’ve only gotten a few pages into the (surprisingly engaging) fantasy, when <em>of course</em> Xihrae decides to interrupt.<br/>
<span class="Xihrae"><em>&lt; Are you busy? &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; What do you think? &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Xihrae"><em>&lt; So, I take it you’re </em>not<em> interested in helping me win a fight? &gt;</em></span></p><p><span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; … &gt;</em></span> I close the book, return things as closely to how they were when I arrived as I can, crawl into the roof once more-<br/>
-and immediately transfer my consciousness to Xihrae’s body, jumping straight into the brawl Xihrae no doubt <em>started</em>. And I’m a bit curious as to why. An adrenaline junky he may be, but he rarely risks dying and losing a big thrill like the one he has planned for this life.<br/>
Unless…</p><p>… He got into this fight… Just so I could have it?<br/>
…<br/>
His thoughtfulness is almost <em>touching</em>.</p><p><span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; I’d have preferred a new book, y’know. &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Xihrae"><em>&lt; No you wouldn’t have. Any chance to “experience physicality,” right? &gt;</em></span><br/>
If I had a face, I’d smile.</p><p>By the time I return, it’s already dusk. The castle is still as silent as a grave, even though I know <em>every. One.</em> Of its ten dozen residents is awake.<br/>
I meet Tess outside the entrance, my spirit once again connecting with her’s.</p><p>And I notice immediately how <strong>hungry</strong> she is -- and <em>not</em> for blood. The castle really has become too peaceful for a demon-eater.</p><p>I fuse the bat back into her flesh as she watches the sunlight disappear behind the mountains inch-by-inch. Until, eventually, there’s nothing left. Once it’s clear that it won’t hurt anyone inside to leave the door open, she enters.<br/>
And quietly walks to the three sisters’ room.</p><p>She knocks on the door, and they answer -- each carrying a suitcase.</p><p>All of their eyes are red from crying.<br/>
Tess smiles and, without a word, they all hug her.<br/>
And just like that, they’re crying again. Still, the silence hangs.</p><p>Finally, one of them breaks it, “I wish we could stay and help to grow our family, but…”<br/>
<span class="Tess">“It’s alright,”</span> Tess says while, needing distance, pulling the woman off of her by the shoulders. She wipes the tears off the sister’s cheeks as cover. <span class="Tess">“Simply continuing to <strong>live</strong> is more than enough help.”</span></p><p>These words only make her cry more, though. Tess’s sadness at their departure is now <em>far</em> outweighed by her irritation from the hunger.<br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Oh well. Not much longer, and I’ll be rid of these drains on my energy. The lot of them just radiate far too much…</em> <strong>healthiness</strong><em>. They </em><strong>had</strong><em> to go. &gt;</em></span></p><p><span class="Tess">“Now, the light is gone. You need to get moving if you’re going to make it back indoors before dawn.”</span><br/>
Nodding, they grab their bags and start toward the door. They get stopped frequently, each of their “siblings” seeming to come back out for a final goodbye. Even the maids stop cleaning the remains of last night’s celebration to give the three sisters a hug and kisses on their cheeks.</p><p>“Quite an army we’ve gathered, hm?”<br/>
<span class="Tess">“Gah!”</span></p><p>Tess spins around.<br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Ha! ~Drac managed to sneak up on you again~! &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Dammit! &gt;</em></span></p><p><span class="Tess">“... Yes, it is,”</span> Tess replies, hiding her irritation.</p><p>The sisters make it out the door to the waiting carriage, and Drac and Tess move to a window to watch them leave.<br/>
Soon enough, the energy-drains disappear behind the trees and hills.</p><p><span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Y’know, as long as you have him here… &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Oh, right. &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess">“More villagers asked to be turned last night.”</span></p><p>Drac’s eyebrows lower, and his mouth thins. “... Oh? … How many?”</p><p><span class="Tess">“<strong>Too</strong> many,”</span> Tess replies, still studying the trees.</p><p><span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; You ordered your pack to guard the sisters until they had left the mountains, right? If you can spot the wolves running next to the path, you could get a <strong>meal</strong> out of it. Y’know, if someone <strong>actually dares</strong> to attack. &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; No. That would be too conspicuous. &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; And you care about that whyyy…? &gt;</em></span></p><p>Dracula is silent, also gazing out the window. But his eyes aren’t watching the view.<br/>
“It’s time, then.”</p><p>Tess smirks, <span class="Tess">“Indeed it is. Shall I make the preparations tonight?”</span><br/>
He turns to her, raising an eyebrow, “You wish to hire that Englishman so soon?”<br/>
She shrugs, <span class="Tess">“No point in waiting, right? The longer this goes on, the less blood is available to feed us.”</span></p><p>“Mm.” He turns back to the outside. He seems to actually be looking this time. “... Do as you wish.”</p><p>Tess smiles and starts walking away -- then stops.<br/>
<span class="Tess">“Oh, by the way.”</span><br/>
He turns, his cloak slithering across the floor.<br/>
She grins. <span class="Tess">“I’ve done it. I know how you can leave the castle.”</span></p><p>Drac’s jaw drops a little, his facade faltering in his surprise.</p><p>
  <span class="Tess">
    <em>&lt; Aw… He actually almost looks <strong>cute</strong> like that! Don’t worry, buddy. You’ll get <strong>released</strong> on the world soon enough. &gt;</em>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span class="Noctu">
    <em>&lt; Oh. <strong>That’s</strong> why! Haha, and here I almost thought <strong>you</strong> weren’t confident in your skills anymore! &gt;</em>
  </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="center">
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  </p>
</div>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <span class="OpenT">It was far from the first clue that something was wrong.</span>
  </p>
</div><p>
  <span class="Tess">But it was only <strong>after</strong> what I experienced during my first Field Training mission that I started noticing those little red flags.</span>
</p>
<p>We lower-leaders-in-training, after going through just a couple cycles of education in… I guess you could call it a boarding school, of sorts -- would be sent out to train with an official lower-leader of a "compatible" spirit type. In my case, that meant a community of symbi with a highly Saturated spirit. (The idea being that their Active nature would help guide my gray, "Passive" one -- that their abundance of color would rub off on me; would fundamentally change my own, more limited, coloring.)</p>
<p>Of course, all lower-leaders were balancers, so my supervisor’s Active status was only their secondary trait. They were also an emotion-eater, meaning they fed off emotion-energy and emitted logic-energy; fed off Red and emitted Cyan.<br/>
Even without actively feeding, balancers affected those around them slightly. In this case, my supervisor caused those around them to become more clear-headed and, in exchange, lose any surface-level emotions they may have had.<br/>
On top of that was my supervisor’s high level of Yellow, order-energy.</p>
<p>When I added those traits up, I realized… my supervisor… was one of the <em>highest ranking lower-leaders…</em>!<br/>
It was likely because I showed a potential for becoming the Dead Ones’ next lapdog, but, at the time, it made me nervous. Did the Dead Ones already suspect me? Were we genuinely the most compatible pairing for each other?</p>
<p>Why would the Dead Ones assign me to someone… who, in their calculations, would remove my ability to make my own decisions? Would remove my emotions and imprint their own "Order" onto me?!</p>
<p>Lucky for me, they could not have been more wrong. The Dark, Indirect nature of my spirit helped hide the truth. I played along -- all the while desperately hoping no one noticed I was hiding anything. Hoping they kept assuming that the Indirectness within my nature manifested as shyness -- rather than a hunter’s instinct to <em>stalk its prey</em>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>On my first Field Training mission… my supervisor was called in to deal with a disturbance at a store.<br/>
And I tagged along.</p>
<p>The local townsfolk were celebrating the birth of a new child. That was likely why the criminal thought they’d get away with it.<br/>
But the store owner, when they came back for supplies for that celebration, had caught them in the act. Apparently, the criminal had been defacing the store’s exterior by growing moss-like plants, all different base-colors, into a picture. Kinda like graffiti, but… more permanent -- a real pain to fix.</p>
<p>There were other ways of constructing buildings, but the most common was to create a frame with plants, fill it with lava, and let it harden. Once planted in that hardened lava, the "graffiti" would need to be thoroughly removed, and the holes patched, or else the entire building would collapse as the plants grew larger and larger.<br/>
So, yeah. You can see why the store owner was upset. Regardless of how pretty the picture, admittedly, was, with the differently-colored-plants being mixed together like paints.</p>
<p>When we got there, the store owner had the criminal restrained. As was customary, both of them "opened their spirits" when we approached. To show vulnerability; that they were no threat and were "open to judgement."<br/>
Oddly, the criminal did so even before the store owner. It took me a moment to see why: The owner was "prizmally-dulled." I could compare it to humans’ blindness in the way it seemed to make navigation in our world difficult. I really can’t say what the store owner’s experience was like, though, so I’ll refrain from making further assumptions.</p>
<p>The criminal appeared to be a chaos-emitter -- with only a barely-acceptable level of self-energy.<br/>
A chaos-emitter wouldn’t survive without releasing the chaos-energy they created. For their societal roles, they often went into some kind of creative field. I chose to call it "chaotic" energy, but it could also have been called "freedom," "uniqueness," or "alternative" energy. Chaos-emitters were especially helpful when solving difficult problems, allowing the minds of the people around them to connect dots and think of ideas they would otherwise never have found!</p>
<p>However, what went wrong with this criminal, according to my supervisor, was his high level of self-energy. Although each Illuniran could only be one spirit-type, we all had every energy type inside of us. In this case, the criminal’s Green energy was just under 50% saturation -- any more and he’d have been carted off to an Unsalv civilization.<br/>
As things stood, his self-energy had directed his chaos-energy toward self-expression. Which needn’t have been destructive in nature, but… well, the criminal had made a bad decision. And this wasn’t their first offence, either.</p>
<p>The criminal tried to argue that what they had done was only a prank. They even agreed to fix the store themselves. But, for whatever reason… This wasn’t enough for my supervisor.</p>
<p>Then came the unexpected -- my supervisor ordered <strong>me</strong> to deal with the criminal.<br/>
And I hesitated. Sure, what the criminal had done was wrong, but… they had already agreed to fix the store, hadn’t they? They’d agreed to make up for their mistake. What more was there left to do here?<br/>
Surely my supervisor didn’t mean to… to take the criminal to an Unsalv civilization?! They weren’t an Unsalv! Sure, they were <em>close</em>, and they’d made mistakes, but-!</p>
<p>I’d hesitated too long.</p>
<p>So my supervisor punished me.</p>
<p>That store owner was prizmally-dulled? Well, I am and was prizmally-<em>sensitive</em>. My supervisor knew this, so my punishment was <strong>over-stimulation</strong>. In an instant, they’d expanded their aura, focused it at me, and-!<br/>
-It was like white-noise for <strong>every one of my senses</strong>. Illuniran senses aren’t quite the same as human ones, but -- it was like having a siren blared in my ears, while my eyes were forced to stare directly at the sun, and a thousand needles pricked at my nerves.<br/>
Except -- it didn’t hurt, per se; it was just overwhelming. Nonetheless, I couldn’t sense anything for <em>hours</em> afterward.</p>
<p>So, yeah… I never hesitated in front of my supervisor again.</p>
<p>And I never did find out what happened to that criminal.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 9</h2></a>
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    <span class="OpenN">Another few months, another few eternities, and another stage that needs setting for the next phase in Xihrae’s plan.</span>
  </p>
</div><p>Tess has arrived to pick up the Englishman, "Jonathan," just before midnight. He’s waiting with the villagers who’d volunteered to bring him through the valley and to the foot of the mountain. They seem to be trying to tell him about those of us in the castle without revealing our <em>little secret</em>, but… well, they just don’t know enough English, nor he enough of their language.<br/>
The carriage comes close enough for the humans to hear, and the villagers cease their chatter to wave at and greet Tess.<br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Their <strong>genuine</strong> enthusiasm actually makes me smile! &gt;</em></span><br/>
Right as Tess stops next to them, her wolves begin howling, reminding me what night it is.</p><p>Tonight is a special night for vampire-kind. They’re stronger tonight, and the wolves can sense that difference. The creatures are both celebrating it and giving out a warning -- <em>and a challenge</em> -- to any who might oppose their masters.<br/>
The villagers didn’t forget, it seems. They’re closing their eyes and enjoying the music.<br/>
Jonathan, on the other hand, is looking left and right, shaking and shivering and gripping the edge of his seat. He’s a bundle of nerves, and his companions soon notice. They’re jeering at him, poking his sides and laughing.</p><p><span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Now THAT makes me smile! &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; No kidding. A few years ago and they would have been even more terrified of that sound than Jonathan. But now… &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Now they trust me. They trust that I control the wolves, and that I will keep them from attacking! &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Those innocent fools. &gt;</em></span></p><p>A couple snaps of Tess’s fingers get the group’s attention, and Jonathan hops into the back of the carriage.<br/>
The howling continues as she drives the horses back up the path to the castle. Jonathan, while calmer (likely reassured by the villagers’ reaction to the wolves) still jumps when the sound comes closer or gets louder.</p><p>Occasionally, Tess spots a little, mysterious blue flame in the forest and stops to investigate it as we pass.<br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; … I'd say I appreciate the gesture, but you’re just doing this- &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; -to confuse Jonathan. Yep! I won’t be able to play with him much, if I want the plan to work, so I need to have what <strong>little</strong> fun I can! &gt;</em></span></p><p>As we near the gates, the wolves come onto the path to greet Tess -- and block any intruders.<br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; … One last little prank couldn’t hurt, right? &gt;</em></span><br/>
Tess gets out of the carriage to pet her wolf-soldiers -- much, she notices with great pleasure, to Jonathan’s shock.</p><p><span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; ... EHEM! &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; UGH! Alright! Time to get to business. &gt;</em></span><br/>
The wolves run next to the carriage the rest of the way to the castle gate. Once inside, Tess takes Jonathan’s luggage, leads him to the door, and knocks. When a maid allows us in, Tess hands her the luggage and tells Jonathan to follow her to the guest room he’ll be staying in.</p><p><span class="Tess">"You’ve had a long journey. Take this time to refresh yourself. And, if you wish, you can join the Count and I for a meal?"</span><br/>
Hesitantly he replies, "If it’s not a bother, that does sound lovely."<br/>
<span class="Tess">"No bother at all, though I’m certain you would prefer to sleep, with how exhausted you must be. However… and this is a bit awkward, but…"</span> Tess puts on her best ‘please forgive me’ act. <span class="Tess">"The Count… he has a few <strong>peculiarities</strong>. One of them being his schedule. He prefers to work at night, you see, so-"</span></p><p>"Quite alright. I understand that those of higher station often find themselves with a few… <em>quirks</em>." He strengthens his stance, shoulders back and feet square. A show of reliability and respect. "It is my job to work around my client’s needs."<br/>
<span class="Tess">"... Very well. I’ll have them prepare a plate for you then."</span> Tess nods to another servant, and they scamper away. <span class="Tess">"I hope you won’t be offended, but I must see to a few things before joining you."</span><br/>
He nods, "Quite alright."</p><p>She hands him off to the maid, then, and goes back outside to care for the horses and carriage. By the time we make it to the dining area, Jonathan is already finishing his meal.<br/>
"Ah, you’ve already met my dear Ciestess?" Drac introduces her. He’s sitting in one of the comfier chairs in front of the fire.<br/>
"Indeed…" Jon replies, an unspoken question in his tone.<br/>
"She is something between a sister and an advisor to me. A <em>good friend</em>, let’s say."</p><p>His suspicions dispelled, Jonathan smiles, stands, and holds out his hand. Tess takes it, and he gives a courteous "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Ciestess."<br/>
Drac offers him a seat by the fire, and Jonathan joins him in front of it. "I would offer you a cigar, but I’m afraid the smoke does not agree with dear ‘Tess."<br/>
"I see," he nods a few times, "Quite alright, quite alright."<br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Is that his favorite phrase or something? &gt;</em></span></p><p>There is silence -- the kind one only encounters in the dead of night, and Tess’s wolves choose that moment to begin to howl again. She gives a contented hum, and Drac closes his eyes and rests his head against the chair in appreciation.<br/>
Tess’s eyes stay open, however, and she watches Jonathan, who is clearly still uncomfortable with the sound -- shifting in his seat, crossing, uncrossing, and recrossing his legs.<br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; So amusing! &gt;</em></span><br/>
"Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make!" Drac exclaims. He opens his eyes. Then, glancing at Jonathan’s discomfort, says, "Ah, sir, you dwellers in the city cannot enter into the feelings of the hunter."</p><p>Tess smirks.<br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Heh. Playing the part a little strong there, Drac. You’re not just smiling, you’re grinning. Why, </em><strong>~if I didn’t know better~</strong><em>, I’d think you were enjoying this! &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Enjoying it a little <strong>too</strong> much. If he’s any more flamboyant, he’ll blow his cover! &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Worrywart. &gt;</em></span></p><p>Drac rises from the chair, Jonathan following his example.<br/>
"Well, I do believe we have kept you from your rest long enough. Your bedroom is all ready, and tomorrow you shall sleep as late as you will. I have to be away for a time, but Ciestess will see to you. Sleep well and dream well!"<br/>
Drac leaves with a soft snap and rustle of his cloak, and Tess leads Jonathan back to the guest room. Once he’s safely inside, she checks that the servants -- at least one of them -- is staying in view of his door.<br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Good. We really can’t have him wandering. &gt;</em></span></p><p>Tess spends the majority of the day after that sleeping.<br/>
Come evening, we’re curled up in her reading-writing nook, engrossed in a fantasy novel, when one of the servants alerts her that Jonathan is awake.</p><p>We find him eating the breakfast that was prepared for him and Tess invites him to the library, <span class="Tess">"The Count will join us in a couple of hours, but you might find something to entertain yourself until then."</span><br/>
He does indeed, looking through all of the information laid out on the table for him; everything Tess, Xihrae, and I had gathered about the house and the area around it. He seems impressed.</p><p>Finally, Drac joins us and they discuss the details of the sale. Tess and I don’t bother paying attention. Our goal is to keep Drac on the track Xihrae has planned for him, not assist him in buying a house. That is a detail unworthy of our attention.</p><p>So we read.<br/>
And they come to some conclusion.<br/>
Jonathan returns to his room to rest a bit more.<br/>
And he leaves in the morning.</p><p>Unharmed. And <em>unsuspecting</em>.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 10</h2></a>
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    <span class="OpenM">Well, the training to become a "Mentor" was perhaps a bit more grueling than expected.</span>
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  <span class="Mentor">But that career as a multi-faceted artist did the trick! They considered me a prime candidate; I should have no trouble gaining the opportunity to become <strong>your</strong> mentor now.<br/>
That said, I'll still need to convince you to accept me as such…</span>
</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>And indeed, this letter is proof I've received first pick of the mentees!<br/>
Hm… Picking you out of a line-up shouldn't be difficult.<br/>
I hope…</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>Look at them all.<br/>
Barely half-grown and already training for war.</p>
<p>No! I need to focus. That's not why I'm here. Just scan the line.<br/>
Follow that thread to your soul, and-<br/>
-Ah! Yes, there you are! … You're… Huh.</p>
<p>If I'm being perfectly honest, you're a bit… <em>unnerving</em>.<br/>
Nothing spectacular, in the grand scheme of things. I've encountered far more frightening beings in my travels.<br/>
That said, something about you still puts me… on edge. Even for you being a demon-eater. There seems to be something… <em>more</em> going on here.</p>
<p>I wish I could put my finger on it.</p>
<p>Well, nevertheless. If you've made it this far, you know how to behave yourself.<br/>
Even if you turned out to be <em>evil incarnate</em>, I should have no problems "training" you -- and teaching you of the Crossroad while I'm at it. What you do with that information afterward is none of my concern.</p>
<p>So music is your preferred method of control, you say?<br/>
Easy enough. I can prove my adeptness at that with a mere song or two.</p>
<p>Well. Um.<br/>
Your lack of a reaction is… discouraging.</p>
<p>Oh! You DID pick me!<br/>
Eh? Oh. Nevermind. It seems you just… want to be done with the process. It is very good I got first pick, then, or I'd have missed you for sure.<br/>
Well, at least the greatest hurdle is out of the way. Now you and I can leave the drabble- I mean, <strong>the poor, innocent children</strong> behind and start our-</p>
<p>-Hm…?</p>
<p>Aha! Oooohh-oh, I see! No wonder you felt strange to me. You hide it so well -- if I were any less experienced, I would definitely have missed it!<br/>
Well. If you don't want them to know, I shan't tell them. Although I <em>do</em> hope I get to see some of the mischief you end up causing…!<br/>
Ooh, it gives me shivers simply imagining it! Perhaps I should have gone with a more eventful world?<br/>
Agh, no point regretting now.</p>
<p>We've made it out of the building and into a courtyard. I suppose this is as good a time as any to speak to each other.</p>
<p>So you wish to have regular training sessions to <em>perfect</em> your energy control? Easy enou-<br/>
-Did… Did you really just… <em>casually</em> hypnotize that creature? <em>With ONE small tune?!</em></p>
<p>Oh-ho! So <strong>that's</strong> a demon-eater's ability! I knew they had some kind of hypnosis, but… I didn't think it'd be so… <em>flashy</em>!<br/>
And to think I thought you frightening <em><strong>before…</strong></em> So demon-eaters can hypnotize weaker prey with a mere few sung <em>notes</em>!</p>
<p>I mentioned I wanted to see what you could cause to happen in this world? Oh, <em>please</em> do something interesting before I leave! I just <em>know</em> it'd be entertaining now!</p>
<p>Although, on the other hand, if you <em>are</em> evil incarnate… And you can manage to hypnotize <strong>ME</strong>…?<br/>
Perhaps I should actually be <em>glad</em> I won't be around to experience your reign, haha!</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 11</h2></a>
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    <span class="OpenN">It's not been long since Jonathan visited Dracula's castle, and we've followed the unsuspecting Englishman to his town.</span>
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  <span class="Noctu">To prepare both the townsfolk, and the house Drac bought, for the expansion of our "family."</span>
</p>
<p>Having arrived only last night, however, I insisted Tess enjoy one of the few <em>advantages</em> of being a dhampir: walking around in the sunlight. More specifically, we're exploring the town, the wolf cub walking beside her. We're counting on the humans assuming the large pup is either a wolfish-looking dog, or merely <em>part</em> wolf. Tess sincerely doubts any of them will guess the truth, insisting (in retaliation to being in the sunlight) that it's an "excellent opportunity to train the little one!"</p>
<p>"Oh, what a cute puppy!"<br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Oh, look! Here comes one such opportunity now. Guess you were right about karma existing here, huh? &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>A young woman runs -- or, rather, walks quickly, since running in that dress would be "unladylike," I assume -- up to Tess.<br/>
"May I?"</p>
<p>Tess smiles kindly. <span class="Tess">"Of course,"</span> she says.<br/>
She tells the pup to sit, leaving her hand on his back to keep him calm. The puppy's head comes up to about Tess's knee, so both women are forced to bend down. The woman eagerly reaches her hand out and starts petting.<br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Someone unfamiliar with dogs, then, clearly. Didn't even pause to let the poor thing sniff her. &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Eh, no matter. In fact, all the better for training. &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>"What kind of dog is he?"</p>
<p>Her voice is pretty and soft. Gentle. <strong>Weak</strong>, even.<br/>
<span class="Tess">"The kind that will grow very large, if his paws are any indication!"</span> Tess jokes. <span class="Tess">"In fact, I think I might even be able to ride him in a few months, if he keeps growing like this, heheh!"</span></p>
<p>The woman laughs as well. It reminds me of a windchime.<br/>
"Why, if that's the case, I may ask to borrow him from you!"<br/>
She pets him quietly for a few moments.<br/>
"... With a dog <em>that</em> big, I might be able to…"</p>
<p>It's so soft that I wouldn't have heard it in the light wind if not for Tess's sensitive hearing.<br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; … Hopefully, she won't realize that. &gt;</em></span><br/>
I take over Tess's body for a moment. <span class="Noctu">"Is something wrong?"</span></p>
<p>"Hm? Oh, um…" She seems embarrassed. "Well, the truth is, I… I'm sick. A weak heart, they say. I can barely find the energy to take my daily walk, these days. And, in a few months… I'll probably die."</p>
<p><span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Huh… She's upset, clearly, but she doesn't seem afraid. &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Perhaps she's come to terms with death? &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; … No. That's not it… It's more like… &gt;</em></span><br/>
Tess's aura flares, as she feigns sympathy, eyebrows scrunched and raised, mouth agape. <span class="Tess">"That's awful!"</span> She says, trying to keep the woman talking.</p>
<p>It works. She gives a small, sad smile, "It's not that bad, really. I only wish people wouldn't fuss so much over me." She pauses, "And… and that I could spend more time with my Arthur."</p>
<p><span class="Tess">"... Hm."</span><br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt;  She's a kind woman. &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Yeah. In fact, her aura almost reminds me of- &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Oh! It's <strong>her</strong>. The woman Xihrae said would make <strong>the perfect bait</strong>. &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>Tess switches gears from innocent information-gathering -- to all-out <em>manipulation</em>.<br/>
<span class="Tess">"You know…"</span> <span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Carefully, now. Not too eager. I can do this! &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>The bait looks up at Tess. Innocent. <em>Ignorant</em>.<br/>
… Trusting.</p>
<p><span class="Tess">"... I might know a way… to cure you."</span> Tess speaks softly, ever-so-subtly including a few almost-sung notes.<br/>
The bait's eyebrows come together and down in a silent question. Before she can ask, though, Tess continues, <span class="Tess">"It would be risky, but there was a terrible sickness in the village where I used to live. This treatment saved many lives."</span></p>
<p>The bait's eyes light up, and her posture straightens.<br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; ~So gullible! &gt;</em></span><br/>
"Truly?!" she declares in amazement, "If that is the case- What is this treatment?"</p>
<p>Tess lets her face go serious -- hesitant.<br/>
<span class="Tess">"The thing is… It's a secret. I'm not supposed to let word of it spread."</span> Tess looks away slightly, like she's actually breaking a promise. <span class="Tess">"There are some who… wouldn't approve of it."</span></p>
<p>The bait's face turns wary, tensing just a bit, then releasing. No doubt she's imagining how bad it might be, or how badly people might react to it. "Really?"<br/>
She stands up straight, her head hanging, for a few moments. Then, hesitantly, she meets Tess's eyes once again. "... May I ask why, or would that-?"</p>
<p><span class="Tess">"- Of course you can ask,"</span> Tess smiles reassuringly, standing with her. <span class="Tess">"Well-ah. Perhaps- would you like to sit down?"</span></p>
<p>She gestures toward a bench overlooking the sea, and they both have a seat. The wolf pup lies at Tess's feet, facing up the path. Watching for intruders.<br/>
Tess pats his head. <span class="Tess"><em>&lt; See? ~This training was just what he needed.~ He's already such a good boy! &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess">"Some people don't approve of what the treatment does to the body,"</span> Tess starts, as though she <strong>isn't</strong> mocking me inside her head.</p>
<p>Then she stops, feeling the lady's aura. And, as usual, Xihrae was right on the mark. With only the slightest bit of prodding, she's already…<br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; I can tell her without risk. She's far too <strong>kind</strong> to endanger anyone, human or not. &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>Tess looks up from the pup, and she grabs <em>and holds</em> the lady's gaze.<br/>
<span class="Tess">"I think you're a trustworthy person. And you're a perfect fit for the treatment, so I'm just going to tell you…"</span><br/>
Tess pauses then, partially for dramatic effect, but mostly-<br/>
-to adjust the atmosphere. The goal is to make her as receptive as possible. Even with one of Xihrae's plans, it never hurts to stack the odds in our favor.</p>
<p><span class="Tess">"The treatment… is vampirism. I myself am a dhampir, or partial-vampire."</span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Yikes. Her face is the <strong>epitome</strong> of shock! &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Hey, at least she seems to believe me! (And isn't reaching for a stake.) &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess">"Half of the people back in my village are vampires. They all would have died if…"</span></p>
<p>Tess looks away toward the sea, takes a deep, shaky breath -- then continues with a somewhat <em>choked</em> voice.<br/>
<span class="Tess">"As you can see, we're not mindless monsters. Although, there are many disadvantages: needing to drink blood, being unable to enter the sunlight… but you'd live far longer than any human. And-"</span> She looks back to meet the lady's eyes again -- and gives a warm, small smile. <span class="Tess">"-you could turn your loved ones as well, someday. You'd be able to spend more time with them!"</span><br/>
And just to really sell it, Tess adds, in a bitter tone, <span class="Tess">"We still feel love, no matter what people may believe!"</span></p>
<p>Tess stops, then, to give the bait time to think. I watch her face, but Tess is more focused on her aura.<br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; ... She's conflicted. &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Yeah. But she's more hopeful than suspicious… I'd dare say she's <strong>desperate</strong>. &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>After about a minute of silence, Tess says reluctantly, <span class="Tess">"You would have to deal with the prejudice, of course, if word ever got out. And I'm certain it will, eventually, no matter <strong>how</strong> careful-"</span></p>
<p>"I'll do it."</p>
<p>Her voice is so certain, it takes Tess aback. I wasn't expecting such a quick answer, either!<br/>
<span class="Tess">"Are you sure?"</span><br/>
She nods.<br/>
<span class="Tess">"..."</span></p>
<p><span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Xihrae, I trust you and all, but… &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess">"... You'd have to pretend to be dead for a while. Perhaps a few <strong>months</strong>, even. Until the area has been made safe for our kind."</span></p>
<p>She smiles, her expression warm and happy.<br/>
… Hopeful.<br/>
"Such a short separation is a small price to pay," she says, all sunlight and flowers.</p>
<p><span class="Tess">"..."</span> Tess smirks. <em><strong>She can't help it.</strong></em><br/>
She tries to make it as unsuspicious-looking as possible, though.</p>
<p><span class="Tess">"Alright. If you're so certain, then… I'll make the arrangements."</span><br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Xihrae… Sometimes you're so accurate -- I can't tell whether I'd rather kiss you or punch you. &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>Feeling like revenge, I relay her comment to the mastermind.<br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; He says </em></span><span class="Xihrae">"I'll take either."</span><span class="Noctu"><em> &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Noctu, you little-! &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Now now, aren't you forgetting something? &gt;</em></span><br/>
Quickly, Tess shakes the odd expression off her face.</p>
<p>The woman is practically <strong>glowing</strong> with happiness. There are even tears in her eyes. "I don't know how, but I will repay you for this!"<br/>
Tess holds her hands up, <span class="Tess">"Oh, there's no need! The only payment I want is for you to live a long, happy life."</span><br/>
The woman holds out her hand for Tess to shake. "At least let me introduce myself. My name is Lucy Westenra."</p>
<p>Tess takes it.<br/>
<span class="Tess">"I'm Ciestess. Ciestess <strong>Dracula</strong>."</span></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 12</h2></a>
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    <span class="OpenM">Ah. Finally we make it to this moment.</span>
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  <span class="Mentor">The moment I believe I've determined the most effective way of teaching you, Future Heir.</span>
</p>
<p>Granted, it was only a couple of cycles. Almost nothing in the grand scheme of things, and it's not as though you are difficult or unpleasant to teach. But, after all the work I've gone through -- trying so many various teaching methods, seeing what material you remembered and which methods caused you to remember <strong>more</strong> -- just to make your transition to being the Keeper easier than my own?</p>
<p>Well, I couldn't have you wasting it, now could I!?</p>
<p>Therefore, I waited, and I tested, and now, as I have determined, I shall tell my advice in the form of a story. You seem fond of those, and you certainly seem to remember them remarkably well.<br/>
And, just to be extra-certain that you'll remember this event, I shall use a more… <strong>intense</strong> tone to tell my tale.</p>
<p>… I certainly <strong>hope</strong> you remember enough that this will help you. <strong>Don't make all my efforts pointless, Future Heir!</strong> I shan't forgive you!</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>I'm sitting in my comfiest chair in my office. Only a few moments late, you come in and, wordlessly and without looking around at all, float toward the spot I normally have you sing from.</p>
<p>I interrupt your preparations, <span class="Mentor">"No, no, we shan't be practicing today -- and no, we will not be going over theory. It's almost the Harvest, remember? I thought we could take the opportunity to rest. It's not as though you'll fall behind, haha!"</span></p>
<p><span class="Tess">"... Alright. I'm not gonna say 'no' to that."</span><br/>
Dropping your bag, you simply float down to sit on the ground.</p>
<p><span class="Mentor">"You know how I sometimes act as a storyteller?"</span><br/>
<span class="Tess">"Of course I do. You're involved in ALL the arts, aren't you?"</span> You remove a drink from your bag.<br/>
<span class="Mentor">"Ha! Yes, yes I am. Well, I have a story I'd like to share with you. About a place called the 'Crossroad of Infinity.'"</span><br/>
Shrugging, you reply while opening the drink, <span class="Tess">"Alright. Sounds interesting, I guess."</span></p>
<p>I begin, in the most dramatic tone I can muster, <span class="Mentor">"The Crossroad of Infinity is precisely what it sounds like: It is the meeting point between all other places, times, and… well, <strong>everything</strong>!"</span></p>
<p>I realize a potential hurdle mid-intro, so I cut-in with the question: <span class="Mentor">"Have you ever heard anything about other dimensions? Other worlds?"</span><br/>
You're removing one thing after another from your bag, <span class="Tess">"Yeah, of course. Like in fairytales, right?"</span> some sort of pillow, <span class="Tess">"A kid falls into a volcano,"</span> a small snack, <span class="Tess">"but instead of ending up burning, they come UP and OUT of the volcano,"</span> a book -- which you glance at and put back in, <span class="Tess">"into some weird, mirror-world or whatever."</span><br/>
<span class="Mentor">"Precisely! Although, it's quite a bit more expansive than simple mirror-worlds. Every story you've ever heard -- that anyone <strong>anywhere</strong> has ever heard or thought of -- there's a matching world out there that coincides with it! Every variation of those stories, every alternate-ending you could dream up -- and everything you could never dream of in a million years! All of them!"</span></p>
<p>I've been getting more animated in my actions. You're staring at me.<br/>
Is that good? …I hope so.<br/>
<span class="Tess">"Okay… I think I get it."</span></p>
<p>Well. No stopping now.<br/>
I keep up my animated tone, <span class="Mentor">"However, only one spirit can exist within the Crossroad at a time. Only a single person can use the Crossroad to travel. This being is called the 'Keeper' of the Crossroad of Infinity."</span><br/>
Finished pulling things out of your bag, you settle into a more comfortable position on the ground.<br/>
<span class="Mentor">"Now, because the Crossroad connects all timelines, it <strong>operates</strong> on a timeline <strong>of its own</strong>. One that can <strong>never</strong> cross itself. So no two Keepers can ever meet -- except when one dies and the other begins their journey."</span> <em>Like us right now.</em> <span class="Mentor">"This also means a Keeper can never return to a reality they died within. Such <strong>shenanigans</strong> are only possible while still alive within that same reality -- and only if the reality <strong>itself</strong> allows such things."</span></p>
<p>I pause. Your face is expressionless.<br/>
<span class="Tess">"... Nope, you lost me."</span><br/>
Alright, let's try: <span class="Mentor">"A Keeper can't go back to a place they visited to, let's say, fix a mistake they made. They can't go to an earlier point in their own timeline -- nor can they live within the same world twice. BUT! If they found… a medallion that let them time-travel <strong>whilst they were still inside that reality</strong>? Then they could use it."</span></p>
<p>Your face is even more more blank than before.<br/>
<span class="Tess">"O… kay…?"</span><br/>
I'm sorry, Future Heir. But I can only explain certain things so well without you experiencing them yourself.</p>
<p>Nothing to do but continue on, really.<br/>
<span class="Mentor">"Now, quite often new worlds come with new laws of physics. So whenever a Keeper travels to a new world, a body is formed for them to suit these new physics. And it is always the approximate, equivalent age the Keeper was when they first <strong>connected</strong> to the Crossroad. Their original body, meanwhile, stays safe and sound back inside the Crossroad until they return--"</span><br/>
<span class="Tess">"-- Aaarrreee we ever going to get to an actual story?"</span></p>
<p>Oh dear. You look so annoyed! <span class="Mentor">"Haha, patience! I'm setting it up!"</span><br/>
<span class="Tess">"Uuuugh! You always take so long to explain things, though!"</span><br/>
<span class="Mentor">"Hahahaha! I can't help it! You're so much fun to tease!"</span><br/>
<span class="Tess">"<strong>Ugh!</strong> Just get <strong>on</strong> with it!"</span></p>
<p><span class="Mentor">"Alright, alright! Haha!</span><br/>
<span class="Mentor">"Well, because they lose the bodies they live in other worlds with, and because the Crossroad's timeline moves separately from all others, a Keeper's memories of each world are… <strong>summarized</strong>. If they weren't, the Keeper wouldn't retain any memory of what they experienced without <strong>overwhelming</strong> their original mind with the information."</span><br/>
And oh dear… How much information it quickly becomes…<br/>
<span class="Mentor">"So when they come back, the extended, or complete, memories of their time in those worlds end up stored in some conspicuous item -- like a plant, for example. Or the fruit of one. And when the Keeper touches them, they can relive that old life in a matter of <strong>moments</strong>!</span></p>
<p><span class="Mentor">"And finally -- only one thing left before I can start the actual stories…"</span><br/>
<span class="Tess">"..."</span><br/>
Oh, that GLARE…! <span class="Mentor">"..."</span></p>
<p><span class="Tess">"<strong>... Just get on with it, already!</strong>"</span><br/>
<span class="Mentor">"Hahaha-! -Ehem."</span> So CUTE! <span class="Mentor">"...Well, the current Keeper of the Crossroad? Is me. And soon, you."</span><br/>
Hm? Your look of confusion is gone.<br/>
<span class="Tess">"... <strong>Oh</strong>, so this is one of those <strong>interactive</strong> stories."</span></p>
<p>Oh. Well, so long as you remember this, that is fine. Believe it is only a story.</p>
<p>Just <strong>remember</strong> the story, Future Heir.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="Tess">Mentor died soon after that. I'd like to say I mourned them, but… We never actually got all that close.</span><br/>
<span class="Tess">However, that means everything from this point onward I can remember clearly, thanks to the memory crystal.</span></p>
<p><span class="Tess">As for my newfound connection to the Crossroad -- I know I felt <strong>different</strong> after Mentor died.</span><br/>
<span class="Tess">But I couldn't tell you <strong>how</strong>, since I have no clear memories from before that moment.</span></p>
<p>
  <span class="Tess">In that way, I might as well have always been connected to it.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 13</h2></a>
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    <span class="OpenN">I cannot dream. But I can <em>sleep</em>.</span>
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</div><p>Tess is not a morning person in this form -- even when it's not the <em>literal</em> morning. Rejoining her as she is waking up in the mid-afternoon, I discover her thoughts are consumed by the desire to return to sleep; in this moment, she wants almost nothing more than to simply <em>let go</em> of consciousness.<br/>
Prompted by that, I decide… this "morning"… is a good morning for <em>me</em> to "sleep."</p>
<p>Although I'm still here, inside Tess's body and mind, I do not participate. I am simply… "along for the ride." To not think, after so many hours of consuming information… It is a relief I've found to be similar to resting after a large meal.<br/>
Contentment.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tess stretches. There's a familiar <em>emptiness</em> in the pit of her stomach; one that has nothing to do with hunger. Rather, it is because it is yet another day, and she must spend it, <em>yet again</em>, doing things she dislikes. All in order to get an outcome she desires later on.<br/>
She wishes, again, that she could return to sleep.<br/>
She never slept as an Illuniran. They did not require it. But it is one of the many "alien aspects" that she has taken a liking to. She finds it comforting -- well worth the exchange of waking up afterwards.<br/>
And indeed, as she slides her legs out from under the warm covers, she wakes up fully and all thoughts of sleep vanish, her resentment toward waking fading with each step.</p>
<p>The building is completely silent, as Tess is the only one required to be awake at this hour. Not stopping to eat, she summons the wolf pup to her side so it can accompany her to work. She "found" a job running a little pub -- to help establish a relationship with the locals.<br/>
It is an easy job for her, and tonight goes no different: Tess serves food and drink to a few late-night customers, easily avoids a brawl breaking out by singing one of her songs, and she cleans the place before her shift ends.</p>
<p>And lastly, she makes a couple sandwiches before leaving -- to start the day's <em>real</em> work…</p>
<p>Which means it's time for me to "wake up."</p>
<p>The sun is setting behind her as Tess knocks on the door of Lucy's house. A familiar face answers, Van Helsing's eye peeking through the crack in the door. When he sees Tess, he disappears inside for a moment, then opens the door just long enough to allow her in. Without a word, Tess walks past the vampire hunter and the sleeping Dr. John "Jack" Seward, entering one of the bedrooms along the hallway.</p>
<p><span class="Tess">"I brought sandwiches!"</span> Tess says cheerfully.<br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; As much as the white garlic flowers hanging from the walls and windowsill make me nauseous… I must admit they're pretty. &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; The moonlight coming through the window is quite beautiful, too. Especially the way it gleams off of the silver cross on the door- &gt;</em></span><br/>
-Tess snorts a little. Just like she does every time she sees that thing.<br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; I just can't believe they actually think those work! &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>She locks the door behind her (can't have any interruptions) and sets the basket down on the dresser. Mina, Lucy's close friend, gets up from the chair next to Lucy's bed, walking over to her.<br/>
Lucy stirs in her sleep; humming quietly, she sits up in bed and brushes her hair out of her eyes.<br/>
"You brought our favorites again, didn't you?" Lucy whispers.<br/>
<span class="Tess">"Of course~!"</span><br/>
Tess hands Mina the two wrapped packages, and Mina takes them back over to Lucy, handing her one. They each carefully unwrap the paper, trying not to get crumbs on anything. Their first bites are accompanied by sounds of approval.</p>
<p>Tess glances at the chair. Normally, she'd have needed to wake them both.<br/>
<span class="Tess">"So Helsing is having you stay up to watch her too, now?"</span> Tess addresses Mina.<br/>
Mina swallows, then admits, "He's getting frustrated. He's still convinced that it's a vampire causing Lucy's health to worsen, but…" She gets a strange look on her face, part guilt and part… resignation, maybe? "Well, of course nothing is working to stop it, so he's resorted to… <em>this</em>."<br/>
<span class="Tess">"Mm,"</span> Tess nods, <span class="Tess">"I'm sure the men aren't much better?"</span></p>
<p>Lucy grimaces. She lowers her sandwich.<br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; I think that's a "no." &gt;</em></span><br/>
"I wish I could tell them. But Dr. Helsing -- Every word he speaks to them, they take as gospel." Tears form in her eyes. "I just-"<br/>
Mina sets her sandwich on the bed, leans over and hugs her.</p>
<p><span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Well, this is uncomfortable. &gt;</em></span><br/>
Tess fiddles with the handle of a drawer on the dresser behind her.<br/>
<span class="Tess">"I am sorry it's taking so long to prepare-"</span><br/>
"-No. No, it's fine," says Lucy, pulling away from Mina's arms. "I'm grateful for what you're doing for me. Every night you come here, you risk getting caught."</p>
<p><span class="Tess">"Yes, well,"</span> Tess turns and adjusts the basket, <span class="Tess">"It's much easier, now, with Mina's help. And, frustrations aside…"</span> she smiles, <span class="Tess">"Jack only meant to help you by calling Helsing here. I don't hold that man's actions against any of you.</span><br/>
<span class="Tess">"I mean, really,"</span> Tess chuckles, turning back with a mischievous look on her face, <span class="Tess">"how could you possibly have known Jack's old work buddy moonlighted as a vampire hunter?"</span></p>
<p>"Still, you're my friend just as much as Jack is. <strong>And</strong> Mina. And… And <strong>all</strong> of you…"<br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Oh no. She has that look she wears when she's about to go into an "I'm-sorry/Thank-you"-cycle! &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Nooo! I <strong>hate</strong> it when she does that! All that <strong>repetition</strong>! <strong>Please</strong> cut her off! &gt;</em></span><br/>
Lucy switches her gaze between Tess and Mina, "You're all doing so much for me. I just wish-"<br/>
<span class="Tess">"-Alright, that's enough. Eat up,"</span> Tess teases, <span class="Tess">"Or will I be going hungry tonight?"</span><br/>
"Oh! Right!"</p>
<p>Quickly (<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; And yet, still somehow ladylike. I wish I knew how she does that! &gt;</em></span>), Lucy finishes her sandwich, then holds out her right arm.<br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; No matter how many times I do this, it still makes me feel a little… Well, not <strong>annoyed</strong>, just… <strong>awkward</strong>. &gt;</em></span><br/>
Avoiding eye contact, Tess walks over to her. Without hesitation, she takes her arm and bites.<br/>
But, like always, that feeling of <em>awkwardness</em> disappears when Tess tastes her blood: This body's primal instincts kick in, and, instead, she's struggling to hold herself back from drinking too much.</p>
<p><span class="Tess"><em>&lt; It's always so disappointing to not get my fill. &gt;</em></span><br/>
I play Xihrae's voice inside her head: <span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; <span class="Xihrae">"<em>Only just enough</em>."</span> &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; I <strong>know</strong>, I know… &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Just enough to continue turning Lucy into a vampire. &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Just enough to keep Abraham Van Helsing </em><strong>frustrated</strong><em>. &gt;</em></span></p>
<p><span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Just enough to keep Helsing hunting US- &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; -so that we, in turn, can hunt HIM. &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>Finished, Tess licks the remaining blood from her lips. Lucy pulls the sleeve of her nightgown down, hiding the many pairs of pinpricks in her skin. How Hellsing manages to keep track at this point is a mystery.</p>
<p>"Will it be much longer? Before she turns," Mina asks.<br/>
Tess walks back to the dresser, lifting the basket before answering, <span class="Tess">"Probably one more month. We should have the house ready, and Lucy's 'death' should be believable by then. Well. To everyone <strong>other</strong> than…"</span><br/>
Tess doesn't look behind her, but she can feel worry coming from Mina's aura and Lucy's increased sadness. She puts a smile in her voice, <span class="Tess">"But, like you said. They've gone to this much trouble to help you. I'm certain, when the time comes, that they'll be nothing short of <strong>ecstatic</strong>-!"</span></p>
<p>Lucy's desperate voice interrupts her, "-And how long before then? Before… before I can tell them?"<br/>
Tess hovers in front of the door.<br/>
She turns, wearing a closed-eyed smile -- and a mischievous smirk.<br/>
<span class="Tess">"Not long. It's just a matter of waiting for the <strong>right moment</strong>!"</span></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 14</h2></a>
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    <span class="OpenT">Life as a lower-leader -- as a demon-eater… on Illunira-</span>
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    <span class="OpenT">-was…</span>
    <br/>
    <span class="OpenT">… haha… <strong>It's hard!</strong></span>
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  <span class="Tess">-I have such mixed feelings about the whole thing!</span>
</p>
<p>… Heh, cliché right? "Protagonist has mixed feelings about their past. More at eleven!"<br/>
Or perhaps I should try the "Protagonist broods about dark, tragic past" trope, since <em>that's</em> so successful…?</p>
<p>Well, the best response to this dilemma seems clear to me: It was actually pretty fun! … For the most part.</p>
<p>All I had to do was wander around my assigned territory, making sure the amount of demonic energy remained low, and capturing Unsalvs (if I found any, which was rare).<br/>
Aside from that, I could do more-or-less whatever I wanted!</p>
<p>Hm…<br/>
Maybe…?<br/>
… To give you an idea of what it was like:</p>
<p>There was a place that functioned kinda like a townsquare/park that I liked to hang around.<br/>
People would put on all sorts of performances! There were bands, small theatrical plays, new food dishes being sold, people would dance…!<br/>
I even performed there sometimes, myself. <strong>That</strong> was probably the most fun of all!</p>
<p>Then there were the little cafés I'd find.<br/>
And places that were… <em>essentially</em> bookstores, but we had to write on these -- well, we had a way to make the writing <strong>glow</strong>. In order to read easily in the dark environment, we had this metallic-like ink that would light up when we infused it with prizmal energy. It even came in different colors!</p>
<p>Sometimes I'd meet up with other lower-leaders, and we'd play these games. In my favorite, one of us would name an animal or a person or something, and the other would try and manipulate their own aura to imitate it. Whoever ran out of energy or failed to mimic anything first lost.<br/>
… I wish I could've played more games like that.</p>
<p>I… I, uh… haven't mentioned this yet, but… I never had many friends, growing up. Even among the other demon-eaters.<br/>
Few of us as there were, and separated from our families as kids, one might think we all developed some kind of family-esque bond, right?</p>
<p>Not so much.</p>
<p>Well, actually, maybe the others did…? I'm not sure.<br/>
See… I'm actually really good at MAKING friends. But for whatever reason… I dunno, maybe I'm cursed or something. Because we always end up… <em>separated</em> somehow.</p>
<p>It's not that I lose the friends I make, per se. But SOMETHING always happens: we drift apart, they make other friends, we just stop talking for no reason, someone ends up having to move… or… or, even if they don't leave, they… we…<br/>
We just can't understand each other enough to ever really…<br/>
…<br/>
Anyway…</p>
<p>Whatever the case -- it's NEVER anyone's fault. There's almost never anyone to blame for it. But that just makes it worse -- because it ALWAYS. HAPPENS-!</p>
<p>-Ah!<br/>
… A-anyway… um...</p>
<p>So, I could never keep friends, but… I was quite good at <em>making</em> them.<br/>
This, plus the demon-eater uniform I had to wear, led to some… <em>interesting</em> situations.</p>
<p>People were naturally cautious of me, but they also recognized me as a peace-keeper. Basically, they felt about me something between how people in a peaceful country here might feel about a police officer or a soldier.</p>
<p>So, after the people in my area got used to me, they… heh, well… Sometimes, when people noticed me, they brought me gifts. Like food or children's drawings.<br/>
But some people… they never stopped <em>ducking quickly inside the nearest building</em>.</p>
<p>And, well… All <em>even remotely</em> good things must come to an end. Eventually, the Dead Ones decided I was too valuable an asset to be wasting on normal patrols.</p>
<p>… Or so they claimed.</p>
<p>Instead, they sent me to help supervise the Unsalvs -- where I met my very first Best Friend.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 15</h2></a>
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    <span class="OpenT">The Unsalvageables' civilizations were separated from the rest of society by simple walls.</span>
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  <span class="Tess">… Not that that was what kept them separated, given the Illunirans' ability to fly. No, that was the <strong>certain death</strong> that awaited the Unsalvs if they dared try to cross it.</span>
</p>
<p><span class="Tess">And the rest of society? They didn't <strong>want</strong> to cross it. Why would they?</span><br/>
<span class="Tess">Only criminals lived on the other side.</span></p>
<p>However, much to "normal" society's dismay, the two sides could never be too far from each other, as both needed access to the others' energies to survive. Thank goodness for that. Else, I'm certain the Dead Ones would have had them killed outright, just like-…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>… Anyway.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Because of that <em>little aspect</em> of Illuniran biology, the Dead Ones were <em>gracious</em> enough to give every Unsalv civilization a designated area that had access to the city's volcano. Couldn't have their precious livestock dying on them! How would they keep the rest of the world controlled and peaceful if everyone was hungry?</p>
<p>Oh yes. The rest of the world lived quite <em>peacefully</em> indeed. Akin to lemmings waiting their turn to jump off a cliff.<br/>
Comparatively, the Unsalvs were, perhaps, like unruly, bored teenagers.</p>
<p>So, yes. Criminals waiting to happen, <em>I assure you</em>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*sigh*<br/>
Sarcasm aside, the Unsalv civilizations <em>did</em> have many problems. And, given I was one of those "lemmings," those problems, rather than the actual <em>people</em>, were what I noticed when I arrived there. They were forced to live under an entirely different set of rules from normal society --  a more militant government. Which meant I acted as more soldier than peacekeeper.<br/>
I was miserable, even though, at the time, I couldn't have told you why.</p>
<p>And yet, somehow… it was also one of the happiest times I had in my homeworld.</p>
<p>Because I finally had a truly close friend.<br/>
An angel-eater. Who, for simplicity's sake, I'll call "Angel."</p>
<p>See, while demon-eaters were used to keep demonic energies under control in normal society, angel-eaters… they <strong>emitted</strong> demonic energy. The Dead Ones "couldn't allow" them to spread it and eat up all the demon-eaters' hard work. But, by virtue of being balancers, angel-eaters were still valuable.</p>
<p>Not only that but, in an emergency, an angel-eater could set an "Angelic Energy Flame."</p>
<p><strong>THE greatest reason the balancers were feared!</strong> Used correctly, a single balancer could restabilize an entire continent's-worth of people-<br/>
-or <strong>de</strong>stabilize it. <em>This</em> was the ancient balancers' greatest weapon during the War of Instability.</p>
<p>However, the Dead Ones refused to let the angel-eaters leave the Unsalvs' civilizations <em>except</em> in such emergencies.<br/>
Now, if you've "done the math," you may have an inkling why that would have been a <em>biological problem</em> for the angel-eaters -- <em>let alone</em> the rest of the Unsalv civilizations!<br/>
Put simply… Since the angel-eaters were concentrated into -- and <strong>feeding off of</strong> -- less-than-half of the world's population… That meant the fed-on population was extremely <em>deprived</em> of angelic energy. Or, rephrased, too full of the demonic energy the Dead Ones were so concerned with keeping as-low-as-possible in normal society.</p>
<p>Every angel-eater was on the verge of setting a Flame at all times. It was the only Flame the Dead Ones were unconcerned by.<br/>
Why should they be? Those Flames only brought even greater peace!<br/>
The only danger of those Flames… was the "famine" they caused for nearby demon-eaters. So, ultimately, the Dead Ones still preferred to avoid them.</p>
<p>Hence my new job: balance out the overabundance of demonic energy in an Unsalv civilization -- by cancelling out the local angel-eater.</p>
<p>… Angel…<br/>
…<br/>
… I'm so sorry, Angel…</p>
<p>… Given we spent all our time together, we-</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>Heh. … C'mon, Tess… There's worse than this coming later.<br/>
<strong>You can tell this part of the story!</strong></p>
<p>...</p>
<p>It took a while for her to fully open up to me.<br/>
But, of course it did. I was just another soldier, at first. But eventually, she looked at me more… <em>deeply</em>. And, like Mentor, she noticed how I was… <em>different</em>.</p>
<p>Since we were opposites, since we cancelled each other out… Our… <em>auras</em>, they… They didn't work on each other. I was no more "angelic" to her than she was "demonic" to me.<br/>
We could see each other more clearly than anyone else.</p>
<p>So, eventually… She opened up to me. And when she did, she… She showed me what the Dead Ones didn't want the outside world to see.</p>
<p>The Unsalvs… They were just people.<br/>
I know, that should've been obvious, but quite often the most obvious things are the hardest to notice. We'd been told all our lives that the Unsalvs were just "naturally rebellious" and, therefore, <em>dangerous</em>.<br/>
To break the rules was to threaten other people's safety and comfort. It risked conflict, the precursor to another war.<br/>
But Angel showed me what had always itched away at the back of my mind. She showed me children rough-housing, insanely potent and emotional stories, exciting sports and games, extremely close families and friends that teased and insulted one another -- all sorts of things only possible <em>because of conflict</em>.</p>
<p>Because of chaos, individuality, and intense emotion!<br/>
Because of freedom, self-interest, and passion.<br/>
… Because of Blue, Green, and Red. Together. Reinforcing each other, and not cancelled out for the sake of some so-called "peace."</p>
<p>… However. The Dead Ones weren't completely wrong.</p>
<p>Without Yellow order, there was lawlessness.<br/>
Aside from the few sparse balancers -- all of them, lower-leaders -- roaming around, there was no system in place to punish anyone who hurt anyone else. People fought over every scrap of food there was, for a safe place to sleep at night, for a beautiful piece of artwork… Those hurt were left to seek revenge for themselves and those closest to them.</p>
<p>Without Purple selflessness, people didn't help anyone they weren't close to.<br/>
There was no large group of people; only families and tight-knit friends. Inside those small groups was a wonderful place to be, but no group truly cared about any of the others. They would help those within them, and it was possible to join one, but… Getting them to work together? Share with each other? Was nearly impossible.</p>
<p>And without Cyan logic, they couldn't see past their own emotions to solve their problems.<br/>
It was like trying to calm frightened children, but without any proof that there <strong>weren't</strong> monsters under their beds. When they decided on a target for their anger, fear, sadness -- there was no convincing them that their target wasn't responsible. Not even with the best, most irrefutable proof.</p>
<p>But the ones responsible for all that <strong>wasn't</strong> the Unsalvs! True, most of their problems were self-inflicted. But with the right guidance, with <em>intervention…</em>!</p>
<p>All they needed was a bit of <em><strong>outside help</strong>, for the love-of-everything</em>!</p>
<p>To get them that outside help, Angel convinced me to join this peaceful, underground rebellion. Their goal was to make a bunch of <em>small</em> changes, over the course of many Cycles, until, finally, they could explode their influence and change <strong>everything</strong>.</p>
<p>And it was working.<br/>
And maybe, eventually, it <strong>did</strong> work.</p>
<p>But I'll never know.</p>
<p>I lived there, helping with the rebellion, until I was a fledgling adult. Around then was when Angel…<br/>
She grew too attached. To one particular Unsalv child. They were still young enough that they hadn't gone through their Emerging yet, but it was clear that they would be True Killed the instant that they did.<br/>
It was clear that they weren't just an Unsalv… <em>but an Unsalv <strong>balancer</strong></em>.<br/>
So Angel hid them.</p>
<p>And I helped her.</p>
<p>But the Dead Ones found the kid.<br/>
And, true to their laws, killed the child immediately.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Angel lost it.</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She tried to kill the lower-leader who had murdered the child.<br/>
But they captured her.</p>
<p>However, despite Angel's Rebel status, that lower-leader… was incapable of True Killing her.</p>
<p><strong>Only an adult balancer of the opposite polarity could True Kill another adult balancer.</strong><br/>
At least, without help.</p>
<p>So -- me being Angel's supervisor, a highly-compatible demon-eater, and such an excellently-behaved lower-leader --<br/>
… They ordered <strong>me</strong> to do it.</p>
<p>
  <strong>They ordered me to True Kill my only Best Friend.</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>… I…<br/>
<strong>Of course</strong> I couldn't…!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>So we fought...</p>
<p>I'm… not sure what Angel and I were thinking. We probably weren't.</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <strong>There was no way we were going to win…!!!</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The lower-leader had called for help. More balancers were on their way. We knew we didn't stand a chance of winning -- we could've run.<br/>
We <strong>should</strong> have run.</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>Angel was already weak. But she lasted surprisingly long. She didn't manage to do much damage, but…<br/>
…<br/>
Heh…</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>They killed her, of course.<br/>
True Killed her -- cut off her head, <em>absorbed all her prizmal energy…</em><br/>
<strong>Right in front of me… !!!</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p>I-<br/>
… It happened too fast, and too slow.</p>
<p>My mind was racing, my body wouldn't move… The next thing I knew, I was charging. And my vision and aura…<br/>
Had gone completely <span class="Tess"><strong>RED</strong></span>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I wonder… if they realized <em>the MISTAKE they'd made</em> then: That my spirit only <strong>seemed</strong> gray.<br/>
Because it was so <em>balanced</em> between the colors.</p>
<p>Equal parts Red Passion and Cyan Logic.<br/>
Yellow Order and Blue Chaos.<br/>
Green Self and Purple Others.</p>
<p>They knew I was a Dark soul, prone to Indirect methods of action. But I wonder if they realized, then, what Mentor -- WHAT <em>ANGEL</em> -- had… !!!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>That I was <em><strong>extremely</strong></em> Saturated.<br/>
That I was <em>NOT</em> Passive.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>That I was, in fact…<br/>
… an <strong>Unsalv</strong> myself.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>…</p>
<p>Heh…<br/>
… If only the looks on their faces had been worth it.</p>
<p>
  <em>But they could NEVER make up for what they cost me.</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>… Unfortunately, I don't think I managed to kill any of them. But things happened rather quickly, so I could be wrong.<br/>
The very moment they saw that brilliant <strong>Red</strong>, the lower-leaders around us-<em>me…</em> tried to absorb my energy.<br/>
But -- to their <em>and</em> my surprise-</p>
<p>-it didn't work.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But, hey.<br/>
They still managed to kill me while I was in a blood-rage.</p>
<p>And before I even managed to set a Demonic Energy Flame!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>So props to them for that, I suppose.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <span class="OpenT">
      <em>&lt; The night sky is as beautiful here as ever. Nonetheless- &gt;</em>
    </span>
    <br/>
    <span class="OpenN">Yawning, Tess checks her watch again. It's 1:30 AM, and still no sign of Helsing.</span>
    <br/>
    <span class="OpenT">
      <em>&lt; -it can only keep me entertained for so long. &gt;</em>
    </span>
  </p>
</div><p>Thoroughly bored after sitting in a tree for hours on end, Tess pulls out her pocket knife, breaks off a small branch, and starts mindlessly carving it. What will she make? Not even she knows yet.</p>
<p>She's managed to trim off all the excess leaves, twigs, and bark, when we hear movement from the other side of the cemetery wall. She folds the knife back into her pocket and gets rid of the shaved branch by balancing it between the tree limbs above her.<br/>
She hones her senses in on the movement and hears the familiar voices of Helsing and the other men.<br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; So all of them came, then.</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Time to begin. &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>Tess transforms into bats and flies back to the house. Landing in the yard, she clicks her tongue to summon the wolves and orders them to stand down for the night, sending them inside to guard the family's rooms instead.</p>
<p>A flock of bats flies over to Tess from the house, and Drac forms from them beside her.<br/>
"So it is time?"</p>
<p>Tess grins, <span class="Tess">"Indeed."</span><br/>
She walks towards the house, and he follows.<br/>
<span class="Tess">"They'll head this way soon. Remember not to show yourself. No matter what."</span><br/>
"And <em>you</em> remember," he retorts, "that I will not allow a member of my family to be harmed."<br/>
<span class="Tess">"Come now,"</span> she taunts, <span class="Tess">"After all this time, surely you trust me?"</span><br/>
He only gives a "Humf!" before flying off back to the house.</p>
<p>She takes her time. Once inside, she checks to make certain the doors leading further in are locked.<br/>
Then Tess knocks on Lucy's door.<br/>
She doesn't open it, but we hear a groggy, "Yes? Who is it?"<br/>
<span class="Tess">"It's Tess. I need your help with something. Please meet me in the entryway."</span></p>
<p>That done, she returns to wait just outside the front door-<br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; -I can hear footsteps running up from the front gate. &gt;</em></span><br/>
Tess hones in to the noise. <span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Already? &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; No… No, they're too soft- and alone. &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>Looking down the driveway, we see Mina running up and looking very disheveled.<br/>
She makes it to Tess, but doubles over, heaving for breath.<br/>
"Helsing… Coming… Saw tomb empty…"</p>
<p><span class="Tess">"Woah, woah…"</span> Tess grabs her arm to help steady her. <span class="Tess">"Yes, I know. I saw him come to the graveyard."</span><br/>
"What?!" She jumps up, mouth open like a fish.<br/>
<span class="Tess">"I have a plan for this, it's alright-"</span></p>
<p>"-Mina?"<br/>
Lucy tiptoes out the front door.<br/>
But we tune out of their conversation, distracted by the sound of heavy footsteps coming up through the front yard.<br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Time to hide and let the chips fall where they may, for now. &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>Once again, I push down my rising feelings of guilt.<br/>
No need to hide my anxiety, however. The tension within Tess is almost as potent.</p>
<p><span class="Tess">"They're coming,"</span> is all the explanation Tess gives to the two women -- before re-entering the house and climbing up into a corner of the ceiling, clinging to the walls.</p>
<p>We can no longer see their faces, but their heads swivel, their auras confused and scared, for a few moments. We can hear them arguing: Mina saying Lucy should hide-<br/>
"They could hurt you! Or worse!"<br/>
-Lucy wanting to stay and try to change their minds-<br/>
"I'm not running! Arthur, Jack -- they would never hurt me!"</p>
<p>I can surmise what happens next from the sound alone.<br/>
Finally, the men come close enough for the women to hear them, and their argument becomes <em>truly</em> pointless when Helsing appears.</p>
<p><span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Jeez, did he </em>bathe<em> in garlic or something?! &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt;  Knowing him? Probably.  &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>"Miss Mina?!" he shouts in shock.<br/>
"Dr. Van Helsing. Please, don't hurt her! Lucy, she's-"<br/>
"You vile creature!" he screams, "Although I pity you, I cannot allow you to harm yet another innocent! … Miss Mina, please, move away from her."<br/>
"If I do, will you put away your weapons?"<br/>
"I cannot! If I do as you ask, there will be nothing standing between the monsters of this place and ourselves."<br/>
Lucy interjects, "They are NOT monsters!"</p>
<p>Even angrier, Helsing screams, "Vile creature! You have-"<br/>
But Arthur cuts in. His voice pained, he implores, "Lucy, please. If there is any of you left in there… let Mina go."<br/>
"Arthur…"<br/>
"She is not holding me here," Mina protests.<br/>
Helsing pleads, "She has entranced you, dear Mina-"<br/>
"No! She's still Lucy!"<br/>
But his persuasive attitude drops quickly, "She has been turned!"<br/>
"She CHOSE this! It was the only way to save her life!"</p>
<p>There's a moment of silence and restless shuffling.<br/>
Jonathan breaks it, murmuring, "What? Mina… You knew?"</p>
<p>Helsing is beside himself. We can hear his heart racing, his breathing ragged. Fear and anger are jabbing out from his aura like hackles on a cornered dog.<br/>
"You LET this happen?" he hisses.<br/>
"Of course I did. It wasn't my choice, this was what Lucy wanted. She can live a long, happy life now."<br/>
"You FOOL!" Helsing bellows, "She has allowed herself to become a monster! No. No <em>I</em> am the fool- for not realizing you had been enamored by their spell."</p>
<p>Seeming to realize Helsing is a lost cause, Lucy begs, "Arthur! Arthur, please, you know me. You know me better than anyone! It's me! It's your Lucy!"<br/>
Gravel crunches underneath boots -- once, twice…<br/>
"What-! What are you doing, fool!?"<br/>
"Lucy…?" The footsteps come a bit faster: three four five…<br/>
"Arthur…!"</p>
<p>More footsteps come now- then press hard into the ground, sliding a bit.<br/>
Mina lets out a sound of protest, and Lucy screams, "Let him go!"<br/>
"Don't allow him any closer!" Helsing orders.</p>
<p>"No! Don't you see? I swear, it's her! It's Lucy! MY Lucy! <strong>OUR Lucy!</strong>"<br/>
Mina cries, "Jonathan, please! Don't you trust me?"<br/>
"Mina…" Feet slide against dirt and gravel again.<br/>
"It is! It's still Lucy!" Mina begs.<br/>
"I-..."<br/>
There are more crunching footsteps.</p>
<p>"Wait. What are you DOING you fools?!"<br/>
"... I know my wife," Jonathan declares, "She's smarter than almost anyone I know. And her instincts are never wrong, so… So if she says that's her best friend up there, then… Then I have to believe her."<br/>
The footsteps come faster and stronger- then stop at the front steps. Mixed declarations of agreement are coming from several voices.</p>
<p>"No! You fools!" Helsing wails, "Don't you see? They have you under their spell!"<br/>
There's more crunching of gravel.</p>
<p>"This… No… NO," Helsing laments angrily, "I'm sorry, all of you. But if I must… I can't allow them to overtake this place." He declares, "If I must, I will kill you all to stop that catastrophe! Now. <em><strong>Monster!</strong> Show yourself, you scum!</em>"</p>
<p><span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Finally! &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Heh. As usual, I'm both excited -- and terrified. If I get this wrong… &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Hey. As you say, there's <strong>no point</strong> dwelling on it. No time to, either. &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>Tess climbs down from the ceiling-<br/>
-and walks out the front door.</p>
<p>"Ah-!"<br/>
Helsing's eyes go wider than I thought possible. His angry aura has completely retracted. The only thing he radiates now is shock. But, as we watch, it changes to something else -- <strong><em>horror</em></strong>. His hands are shaking-<br/>
-we notice, then, that he's holding that same silver cross from before.</p>
<p>Helsing trips over himself, falling to the ground, trying to get space as he puts the pieces together. We watch his aura thrash and squirm as fear overpowers his rationality. Desperate. Yes… So desperate to find anything, any argument or weapon to use against this wicked <strong><em>thing</em></strong> stepping closer towards him.</p>
<p>He looks back and forth between Tess and the people watching us in confusion and dismay. He's completely at a loss for words.<br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; If I wasn't so scared of messing this up, I'd find it amusing. &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>As the vampire hunter stares up at her, Tess breaks him out of his stupor with a grave, <span class="Tess">"Hello, Dr. Hellsing."</span><br/>
He sputters, "No… But… But, you <em>can't</em> be…" almost loses his grip on the cross, "I… I saw you in the daylight!"</p>
<p>Until, finally, he screams, "<em>I befriended you!</em>"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <span class="OpenT">At first I was just… really disoriented.</span>
  </p>
</div><p>
  <span class="Tess">Where was I?<br/>
It… reminded me of… <strong>Prizmal</strong> for some reason…?<br/>
But- I couldn't be there, right? They had True Killed me, so I wouldn't have ended up there.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span class="Tess">… Wait-<br/>
<strong>-They'd killed me.</strong></span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I was supposed to be dead. But -- I still had my <em>physical</em> body!</p>
<p>Then I remembered <strong>why</strong> I was supposed to be dead-<br/>
-<em>ANGEL…!</em></p>
<p>I <strong>looked around</strong> to try and find her; THAT'S when it started, I think. Although, granted, no memory crystals <em>grow</em> to help me remember what happens while I'm within the Crossroad itself.</p>
<p>But I know that, pretty quickly, I <em>stopped</em> looking for Angel.</p>
<p>I got distracted.<br/>
By my new reality.</p>
<p>I started getting these visions -- flashes of lives I couldn't have lived, in worlds that couldn't exist. For a long time, I figured I was hallucinating. That, wherever I was, something was messing with my mind.<br/>
Gradually, I realized the truth. But I didn't want to -- <em>couldn't</em> -- believe it.</p>
<p>They weren't visions. <strong>They were memories.</strong></p>
<p>I knew this for certain when… Ah, I should backtrack.<br/>
Every time I had one of these visions, a plant would grow. The longer the vision, the taller the plant-…</p>
<p>No, no… I need to backtrack further… I should describe what the place looked like:<br/>
It was like a garden, except it only had one plant.<br/>
At least, <em>for those first few seconds</em>. Before I started having "visions."</p>
<p>It resembled an empty plot of land from Illunira. <em>So closely</em>, in fact, that I thought I was still <strong>in</strong> Illunira!<br/>
If I'd cared to look closer, I'd have noticed how there wasn't a horizon or sky -- how everything seemed to… <em>fade</em>- after a short distance. The only other thing there (aside from the plant and the ground) was some lava flowing down a small incline -- <em>with no volcano to supply it in sight</em>.</p>
<p>And that one, solitary plant. One, what I'd later dub, "memory crystal."<br/>
But the First Crystal is different from the ones that came after it. Which is how I can always find it, no matter how many more grow: It's grafted onto another plant. One that didn't originate from Illunira.<br/>
(To describe it, I guess it kind of looks like… a mushroom? Like a fuzzy mushroom, but made out of… a bunch of tiny ribbons? … That's the best I can do.)</p>
<p>I realized my visions were actually memories when I touched one of these crystals. While touching it, all the details of the "vision" came into clear focus.<br/>
As a test, I touched more. And the same thing happened.</p>
<p>Then I touched the First Crystal.</p>
<p>And I recieved Mentor's messages.</p>
<p>That bit of foreign plant was, apparently, how Mentor's memories had been stored while they were the Keeper.<br/>
They had known their old memories wouldn't be accessible for me (if they even still exist at all), but that the ones they made in Illunira before they died <em>would</em> be. So they'd gone over their advice to me countless times, imprinting them in that bit of stored memory with remarkable clarity. (Repetition will do that.)<br/>
All so I could know what was happening to me.<br/>
…<br/>
Well… so I wouldn't have to figure it out <em>on my own</em>, anyway…</p>
<p>The story Mentor had told me. About the Crossroad of Infinity and its Keeper? … Was true.</p>
<p>After touching the First Crystal, I finally allowed myself to study my surroundings. I'd been subconsciously avoiding it, too scared of the looming Unknown.<br/>
Now that I wasn't panicking, I could see the place for what it was. The illusion of Illunira, of familiarity, faded away.</p>
<p>Actually, that's only <em>half</em>-true.<br/>
They were still there, if I looked.</p>
<p><em>Still</em> <strong>are</strong> <em>if I</em> <strong>look</strong>.</p>
<p>Although, it's less that they exist, but more like they are how my mind chooses to <em>perceive</em> the Crossroad.<br/>
Infinity is <strong>incompatible</strong>. At least, with my physical body and mind. So the plants, ground, and lava are a substitute for it. And, after I'd acclimated for a while, so was the sky.<br/>
Or, rather, <em>Prizmal</em>.</p>
<p>The reason the Crossroad had reminded me of it was because, in many ways, it IS Prizmal. Just deeper into it than I could ever have imagined! It's truly impossible to describe.</p>
<p>How does one describe Infinity? That's a puzzle I've been trying to solve for ages.</p>
<p>A single point within the Crossroad is both infinitesimally small and infinitely large.<br/>
Some points and paths I could see -- or taste, hear, smell, feel… <em>Process</em>.<br/>
But others I'll never be able to recognize. Let alone <em>navigate</em>.</p>
<p>They're beyond my abilities.</p>
<p>
  <strong>Incompatible.</strong>
</p>
<p>The sensation of all those paths and worlds, dimensions and timelines… Physics that are eerily familiar, or ones that are so alien as to be beyond comprehension, or are so absurd that they make me laugh or shudder in terror just knowing <em>THEY EXIST</em> somewhere.<br/>
That sensation is completely intangible.</p>
<p>The best way I can describe it is: <em>I was in the center of the biggest prism in existence!!!</em><br/>
Although, it is more… <em>ambiguous</em> in shape than a prism from this world, haha!</p>
<p>All those places reaching out, connecting to each other, leading to one another…? The way they fade into each other, the same and yet <em>remarkably</em> distinct?<br/>
It's like a never ending rainbow of infinite colors -- and the Crossroad is the point where all those colors meet!</p>
<p>And that fracturing, refracting effect. Heh.<br/>
<strong>That's</strong> Prizmal!</p>
<p>-Ah! <em>Part</em> of it. That's how it <em>appears -- and</em> why I named it that in this world!<br/>
What "Prizmal" is -- is the "Great Energy Dimension."</p>
<p>Every dimension, every world -- err, every one that I can <em>access</em>, anyway -- has a "prizmal" element. Sometimes it will be contained within the same dimension, and sometimes it will be in a parallel one. Sometimes it'll even be something <em>between</em> the two!<br/>
And if it's a parallel dimension, quite often it gets called a "spirit world" or "afterlife" of some kind by the people who live in its material counterpart.</p>
<p>And that makes sense, since ALL prizmal dimensions are <em>PART OF PRIZMAL</em>! It's through Prizmal that dimensional travel is possible! And it's through this overarching connection to Prizmal that different dimensions gain knowledge of each other!<br/>
Stories, thoughts, feelings, spirit -- <em>information</em>  -- can travel so easily through prizmal energy that, with no effort at all, people can tap into it through <em>almost any</em> dimensional barrier!</p>
<p>So is it any wonder that, when I reach out -- with my <em>prizmal</em> body. With my <em>spirit</em> -- I can sense Infinity more clearly? It's almost as though it's imposed on top of those perceived physical surroundings -- like a hologram.</p>
<p>And, while in this state of perception, the memory crystals connect to points within Infinity, marking where I have been.</p>
<p>
  <em>This is extremely useful for navigation!</em>
</p>
<p>But when I first figured that out-<br/>
- I was devastated.<br/>
Because Mentor was right. I couldn't go back to anywhere I'd been.</p>
<p>
  <em>Least of all to Illunira.</em>
</p>
<p>These points are like magnets. They repel me. The closer I try to get to them, the closer a destination is to them, the harder it becomes to reach.</p>
<p>At first it was hard to navigate even a tiny bit. It was <em>so hard</em> that my attempts had barely any effect on where I ended up. I'd try to reach for a world with similar physics, and end up in a set of physics I'd never even thought possible. I'd reach for a specific person, but they wouldn't be in the world I ended up in.<br/>
I tried again and again: reaching in, living a new life, returning with only the summary of my memories (a small consequence, it seemed at the time), <em>reaching</em> again…</p>
<p>So many lives and memories, most going ignored.<br/>
Because, to give a comparison (although the time isn't exact): One year to the "me" inside a world -- <em>was like only a </em>second<em> to the real "me" inside the Crossroad</em>.<br/>
To live one hundred and twenty years in this world-<br/>
-would be like being forced to remember <em>every second</em> of that life in the span of only <strong>two MINUTES</strong> back in the Crossroad.</p>
<p>If, say, my memories of a life in one dimension were a file, then I could only "unzip" them by touching a memory crystal. So, no matter how devastating or incredible they might have been, those failed navigations barely even felt real. That's why, at first, I didn't think they were.</p>
<p>Eventually I figured it out: I couldn't just blindly aim into infinity. I had to start somewhere and… well, as best I can explain it, "move sideways." Not that there were any actual <em>directions</em>, but-<br/>
-… Let's see…</p>
<p>It's like… trying to find a specific object inside a pitch-black, silent, <em>unfamiliar</em> room.<br/>
Without anything or anyone to help you.<br/>
Your chances of succeeding are <em>much better</em> if you work your way through by touching the furniture, other objects, walls…</p>
<p>The memory crystals are like my furniture and walls. They're where I've been. By "moving sideways" from them in the "direction" of the traits I want for my next world, <strong>I can navigate</strong>!<br/>
… Kind of.</p>
<p>It's an imperfect process.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <span class="OpenN">
      <strong>Let's turn back the clock for a moment…</strong>
    </span>
  </p>
</div><p> </p>
<p>
  <span class="Noctu">It's a while, yet, before Tess is supposed to fully <em>turn</em> Lucy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span class="Noctu">And since it's good cover for establishing a relationship with the locals, she's been working at this little pub for the past few weeks.</span>
</p>
<p>Imagine our surprise, then, when we spot <em>Abraham Van Helsing</em>, of all people, arguing with the cook. We knew he was coming at <em>some</em> point, but, once again, Xihrae had "accidentally" neglected the details.<br/>
Despite the short time to prepare, Tess isn't thrown off, thinking only, <span class="Tess"><em>&lt; … Well, now's as good a time as any, I suppose. &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>Once they've finished, Tess asks the cook what the argument was about. That answered, she grabs and scarfs down her own food -- and waits for the perfect time to make her entrance.</p>
<p><span class="Tess">"I didn't realize the pub <strong>offered</strong> breakfast this late,"</span> Tess says, her tone light-hearted yet accusatory.<br/>
"Hm?"<br/>
In the middle of taking a bite, he looks up at her (Tess's eyes <em>just barely</em> above his own) and spills a bit of egg from his mouth. She's not yet donned her uniform, so any attempt at intimidation via authority is pointless. And yet…</p>
<p>He swallows and, stoic, mutters, "Not my first choice."<br/>
Not to be denied, Tess tries again, <span class="Tess">"Oh yeah? What would be?"</span> She puts a hand on her hip and tilts her head down at him. <span class="Tess">"Because I hear the chef <strong>takes requests</strong> now."</span></p>
<p>He flinches.<br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; There we go. At least he has the decency to look guilty. &gt;</em></span><br/>
"I… suppose I could have handled that better."<br/>
<span class="Tess">"A bit."</span><br/>
He regains his bluster, "<em>-But in my defense</em>, my first choice would have been a proper amount of sleep." His face scrunches in disgust (<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; He looks like an angry bulldog, haha! &gt;</em></span>), "No rest for the <em>wicked</em>, I suppose."</p>
<p><span class="Tess">"…"</span> Tess pulls the stool out from the other side of the small table and plops down. <span class="Tess">"Why the lack of rest? What are you doing that's so 'wicked' -- if I may ask?"</span></p>
<p>His mouth thins, and he looks away. "Such things are no concern of a young woman."<br/>
<span class="Tess">"Oh?"</span></p>
<p>And then, the door opens-<br/>
-and <em>HE</em> comes in.</p>
<p>Thankfully, <em>HIS</em> presence here is a detail Xihrae did <em>not</em> "accidentally" leave out. If he had, this game of hi-... of <em><strong>ours</strong></em> would have been over the very first moment Tess and I met… "Jacob." Nonetheless, I still have to push down the touch of panic that "Jacob" causes every time I see him.</p>
<p>Tess waves to "Jacob," tonight's waiter, as he passes us, continuing her conversation with Helsing, <span class="Tess">"And I suppose there's nothing I could do to change your mind?"</span><br/>
"Hmf!" I can't tell whether that was a laugh or a scoff, but his next words are… gentle, "…This really isn't something you ought to concern yourself with. It's too much for the weak-willed, best left for a <em>man</em>."</p>
<p><span class="Tess"><em>&lt; … &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Tess. <strong>Control yourself</strong>. &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; ... I will choose to ignore the last part. &gt;</em></span></p>
<p><span class="Tess">"'Not for the weak-willed,'"</span> Tess thinks for a moment -- then grins, <span class="Tess">"…Alright, then."</span><br/>
She clicks her tongue twice.<br/>
It takes only a couple seconds -- the puppy (now about three-fourths grown and considerably larger than most dogs) opens the door with his paws, enters, and comes directly to the table. She snaps her fingers. The pup obeys, sitting beside her.<br/>
The wolf stares Helsing in the eyes for a couple seconds, before looking back at its master. With the obedient beast beside her, and Tess still dressed in her usual, flowing black dress… Images I'd caught from mirrors in the castle's halls surface at the thought.</p>
<p>And I wonder -- how ethereal must Tess look to him in this moment?</p>
<p>After a couple pats, Tess orders the pup, <span class="Tess">"Open."</span><br/>
It opens its mouth, and Tess places her arm inside the wolf's jaws. Understanding seems to dawn in Helsing's mind a moment too late, "Now, hold on a moment-!"<br/>
<span class="Tess">"Snap!"</span> Tess yells.</p>
<p>Helsing lets out a guttural yelp, preparing to leap across the table, as the wolf's jaws SLAM down on Tess's arm-<br/>
-and stop <em>precisely</em> as its teeth meet her flesh, without so much as a single droplet of blood.</p>
<p>Helsing drops his fork, his eyes wide and mouth agape like a stranded fish. Tess removes her arm, pets the pup, snaps her fingers, and points at the ground. The pup obeys, circling a couple times before lying down facing the door.<br/>
Since he's still busy gaping, Tess takes the opportunity to add, <span class="Tess">"I work the night-shift here a few times a week -- just me and my dog. <strong>What</strong> were you saying about being weak-willed?"</span></p>
<p>"Why…!" If possible, his eyes have gone even wider. "You really trained this beast? And- and work in a pub while-"<br/>
<span class="Tess">"-I RUN the pub. Alone. At night."</span><br/>
"Ha!"<br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Now <strong>that</strong> was a laugh! &gt;</em></span><br/>
Helsing sits back down. He's returning Tess's grin, and his shoulders are back and head raised. "My apologies, miss…?"<br/>
<span class="Tess">"Ciestess. You can call me 'Tess,' if you like."</span><br/>
"Miss Ciestess, you may be one of the bravest women I've ever met."<br/>
<span class="Tess">"Then I'm afraid you haven't met many women."</span><br/>
"Ha!" He picks his fork back up.</p>
<p><span class="Tess">"So,"</span> Tess leans forward and rests her arms on the table, <span class="Tess">"Why are you in here eating breakfast for your dinner?"</span></p>
<p>"Ah, well, that…" He pokes at a piece of meat, but doesn't stab it. His eyes flit between her and his food as he answers, "I'm a doctor, you see. And a patient of mine is suffering from a rather unusual condition. Extremely rare. It requires I look after her throughout the night hours."</p>
<p><span class="Tess">"Hm…"</span> Tess feigns worry -- eyebrows raised and pulled together, <span class="Tess">"What condition? Is it contagious?"</span></p>
<p>He looks up at her again. "Oh! No, no-ah… Mm, well… Yes, but…" Breaking eye contact, he searches for his knife. Grabbing it, he stabs the meat and cuts it -- with more force than strictly necessary -- into bite-sized pieces. "... It's… It's rather difficult to-... Well, you're unlikely to believe it…"</p>
<p>Tess sits up straight again. <span class="Tess">"You're a doctor, aren't you? What reason would I have to doubt you?"</span></p>
<p>"It…" He pauses his cutting, but still doesn't look at her. "Well, I suppose… working throughout the night… you'd be in more danger NOT knowing…"<br/>
His knife moves again. He's silent until he finishes cutting up the meat.<br/>
"... Very well. I'll tell you, but you mustn't let word spread, you understand? The truth is…" He looks up again. "She was attacked, you see. By… By a <em>vampire</em>."</p>
<p><span class="Tess">"A vampi-oh!"</span> Tess says, then whispers, <span class="Tess">"A vampire? You're serious?"</span><br/>
"I warned you-"<br/>
<span class="Tess">"-No no, I believe you, it's just… surprising, to say the least! How do you know that's what happened?"</span></p>
<p>"She's suffering from a form of anemia -- she doesn't have nearly as much blood as she ought to… As though she's been bleeding from an open wound," He stabs a piece of meat with his fork. "But the only marks on her are some rather distinct bite marks on her arms and neck. And new ones appear every few nights."</p>
<p>Tess mumbles, <span class="Tess">"So you've been guarding her…"</span></p>
<p>"Yes, but it doesn't seem to be working. All I can do is try and set up as many obstacles between her and her attacker as possible."</p>
<p>We're interrupted by "Jacob." He sets a glass down in front of Tess: A sweet tea, with no ice.<br/>
Tess looks at him, genuinely surprised, <span class="Tess">"You didn't have to-"</span><br/>
"I figured you could use a cup of tea. This is still your favorite, right?"<br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; … Jeez, that smile. How am I supposed to say no? &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Why should you? &gt;</em></span> I counter, doing my best to act as I normally would -- instead of shouting at her to remain cautious, don't trust him, trust anyone BUT him, and <em><strong>whatever you do, don't drink that-!</strong></em><br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; ... Good point! &gt;</em></span><br/>
Tess smiles back at him, <span class="Tess">"Thank you."</span></p>
<p>"Jacob" returns to his table. Tess sips at the sweet tea.<br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; A little too much sugar, but not bad. &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess">"If you don't mind my asking,"</span> she mutters, <span class="Tess">"How did you come to learn so much about vampires? Do they teach <strong>all</strong> doctors about them?"</span></p>
<p>Helsing had returned to eating in the brief silence. It takes him a moment to answer. "No, I'm an unusual case in that regard. I… Well, it's a bit of a <em>personal</em> story…"<br/>
<span class="Tess">"I don't-"</span><br/>
"-Oh, don't apologize, miss. It's actually rather refreshing to be able to talk like this. As some say, the only people you can truly be honest with are complete strangers."</p>
<p>They share laughter for a moment. Helsing's face becomes solemn, his mouth turning down slightly and his brow furrowed.<br/>
He takes another bite of his eggs, then starts his story.<br/>
"... I was still new to being a doctor, at the time. I was working with a friend to cure his brother, who was suffering from, what I learned quickly was, an incurable disease."<br/>
Helsing takes another bite. His food is almost gone.<br/>
He's staring at the table.</p>
<p>"The night we expected him to die, my friend requested I leave them alone together. So I did. When I returned the next morning, it was to find them both dead-" His nose wrinkles up, and his lip curls. "-my friend lying next to his brother on the bed, a bite on his neck, and his blood on his brother's mouth."<br/>
He snatches his cup and guzzles it.</p>
<p>He returns it to the table with a <em>clunk</em> -- but continues clutching it.<br/>
"I was in shock. Confused. But I'd heard of vampires, of course. I could hardly believe it, but the more I studied the scene, the more certain I became that I <strong>wasn't</strong> mistaken."</p>
<p>He lifts the cup again, but doesn't drink. He's staring at it, instead of the table, now.<br/>
"So, perhaps a bit mad in my grief, I admit, I took revenge upon my friend's brother's corpse."<br/>
His voice has gone monotone and, aside from his furrowed eyebrows, his face wears a neutral expression.<br/>
"I broke the leg off a wooden chair in the corner of the room and stabbed <em>it</em> through the heart. When I did…" His eyes widen slightly, and his words come more slowly. "Those screams will haunt me to the day I die."</p>
<p>He's stopped talking.<br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; What can I say to that? Should I say anything yet? &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; … No. We need to stick to the plan- &gt;</em></span> Musn't give in to the guilt…! <span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; -<strong>Xihrae's</strong> plan. &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>Thankfully, he continues. He hasn't moved even a little during the silence.<br/>
His voice seems stronger now.<br/>
"Suspicions confirmed beyond any doubt, I waited for my friend to wake. I suppose I hoped… I'm not sure WHAT I hoped."<br/>
He finally looks up from the cup. His pupils have dilated, and the area around his eyes is tense.<br/>
"That he'd be human? That I could cure him? … No. I suppose… The truth is that I needed to see his <em>inhumanity</em> with my own eyes before I could bring myself to do it. To <em>kill</em> him-</p>
<p>"-No," His eyes widen -- the haunted look in them replaced by madness. "No, to SAVE him! A creature like that…" His lip curls and nose wrinkles again.</p>
<p>He growls, "The only salvation left for them- is <em>death</em>!"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <span class="OpenT">It took me at least a few <strong>hundred</strong> tries to navigate the Crossroad successfully, even after figuring out the basics.</span>
  </p>
</div><p>
  <span class="Tess">A few <strong>hundred</strong> tries to get a dimension <strong>decently</strong> close to what I wanted. To get one with physics I liked.</span>
</p>
<p>It might seem odd how I keep bringing up "different physics." Well, there's a good reason for that: It's the first thing I notice about a new world. And a large part of what makes many of them so interesting.<br/>
And also-<br/>
-They're usually impossible to completely describe once inside a <em>different</em> set of physics (although some are more difficult to describe than others.)</p>
<p>In this case, my first successful navigation definitely falls in the "more difficult" category, since it was more similar to Illunira than to this world: It had no sun, was a half-prizmal dimension, and didn't require spoken language.</p>
<p>But, I suppose it also had no spirit types, like this one.</p>
<p>Rather than having a <em>material</em> and a <em>prizmal</em> body, it was more like living things there were made from a substance that combined both. The material <strong>was</strong> the prizmal.<br/>
They didn't have any need to feed the prizmal part of their beings. Rather, it was their material body that fed their prizmal element. In many ways, this made the First Nav's connection to Prizmal much stronger than Illunira's.</p>
<p>And, in fact, Prizmal was much easier to see in the First Nav's sky.<br/>
But it didn't look like the Prizmal I knew.</p>
<p>Rather than a crystal, with sharp edges and refracted light, it looked like a bunch of amorphous. <em>Blobs</em>. Of glowing. <em>Goo</em>.</p>
<p>...Alright, I admit, that description might be intentionally degrading.<br/>
I'm biased in favor of Illunira's Prizmal. So sue me.</p>
<p>I guess a more flattering description might be <em>"the sky looked like a giant lava lamp."</em></p>
<p>More familiar, and a more important aspect to me, was that communication was done through the aura/mind; through the <em>prizmal</em>. Because, by this point, I had encountered worlds that required the use of some type of language -- spoken or otherwise. And the thing about language is that <em>it has to be learned</em>.<br/>
And I couldn't just travel to worlds that used the language from Illunira because that magnet-like, <em>pushing</em> effect <strong>wouldn't. Let me.</strong><br/>
Now, eventually, of course I would come to learn another language (thanks, in large part, to Noctu and Xihrae), but I hadn't yet. So not needing to know one in order to communicate? Made things <em>considerably</em> easier on me. This was one of the aspects I'd continue aiming for for many travels to come!</p>
<p>I said there weren't spirit types. This, too, was intentional.<br/>
I was tired of the prejudice different spirit types had aimed at each other in Illunira. I knew there would likely still <em>be</em> prejudice of some kind -- but at least it would be a <em>different</em> kind!</p>
<p>And it was. Rather than judging each other based on any prizmal aspect -- they judged using the material:</p>
<p>There were two basic ecosystems. We'll call them "poisonous" and "benign."<br/>
And there were two intelligent, souled races in this world. One for each ecosystem.<br/>
And, while they weren't exactly <em>at war</em>, they did <strong>not</strong> get along.</p>
<p>I could come up with names for them. But I'd rather not -- for reasons that should become obvious. Later.<br/>
So, instead, I'll refer to the poisonous-ecosystem race as "B" and the benign as "A."</p>
<p>Over time, I definitely became more familiar with the Bs.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="center">
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  </p>
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<p></p><div class="center">
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    <span class="OpenT">I'm glad Mentor died when I was so young.</span>
  </p>
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  <span class="Tess">It's made traveling to new worlds a bit more <strong>convenient</strong>.</span>
</p>
<p>When he died, I connected to the Crossroad <strong>for the first time</strong>. It happened when I was…  just reaching "adolescence," I suppose you could say? Er, well- I guess, in your terms, I was somewhere between nine and twelve years old.<br/>
That stage of development -- the transition from childhood to adulthood? <em>That's</em> the stage of development my <em>new bodies</em> are always made in -- which is rather lucky, actually, since it means I'm rarely expected to know everything about the worlds I end up in. Quite often, I'll get taken in and cared for because of my "age."</p>
<p>Which is exactly what happened in the First Nav.</p>
<p>The body I'd been given was a B. I won't go into detail on what the As or Bs looked like -- mostly because I couldn't describe them if I wanted to, but I also don't want that to distract you. However, I'll say this: They definitely weren't humanoid.</p>
<p>Since I had arrived as a B, thankfully it was a group of Bs that <em>found</em> me. The Bs didn't have a strict "familial" structure, but lived in groups with between one and five leaders, as many as thirty other adults, and a multitude of children.<br/>
And, unfortunately, it wasn't uncommon that many of those children were adopted. Because the As, if their "structure" was disrupted, had a tendency to… <em>overreact</em>.</p>
<p>The Bs… "worked" for the As in order to survive. From the moment a B could move around on their own and follow orders, they went to work for a community of As.<br/>
The As had a much more structured ranking of authority among them. One family would rule over about seven others, all of whom would provide one or more services -- such as food, medical care, and even artistry. Whatever the ruling family desired, they'd find a lower family to supply. In exchange, the ruling family would allow the lower ones the "service" of their Bs.</p>
<p>Now, as far as I could tell, this had started off as a mutual agreement between the two races. Because of their physiology, the Bs could venture into the outside world without fear.<br/>
But the As couldn't.<br/>
The First Nav's two ecosystems were not equal in strength. At any moment, the poisonous one threatened to overtake and eradicate the benign. Any "poisonous" creature that happened into a benign environment would be perfectly fine, but the reverse was not true. The As and Bs, as the only fully sentient beings, had established a partnership to help prevent the extinction of the benign ecosystem.</p>
<p>Or, rather… the Bs had decided to help the As out. Since the Bs didn't require the As help in return and, in fact, the As didn't have much to offer.</p>
<p>Except.</p>
<p>Except for the promise of an "easy life."<br/>
Which the Bs became addicted to.</p>
<p>In exchange for having basically every one of their needs cared for (housing, food, even entertainment), the Bs rid the As immediate surroundings of anything and everything poisonous -- cleaning their homes, tending their gardens and fields, and even serving as guards on the rare occasions any As dared to travel.<br/>
By the time they realized anything was wrong, they didn't know of any other way to live. And the As refused to teach them. (Trades were heavily guarded family secrets, after all!)</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A few Bs got around that rule, though.<br/>
It was rare, but crossbreeding was possible between As and Bs. These Hybrids would usually have the benefit of being able to survive in poisonous environments without being poisonous themselves; however, if they bred with either an A or B, the trait of the other race would disappear.<br/>
Of course, given the interruption they caused to their hierarchy, the As weren't fond of the Hybrids. But their strict societal structure didn't allow for much disclusion of them.</p>
<p>Reluctantly, some Bs were allowed more deeply into the As' society. This was where I had found myself.</p>
<p>I wasn't blood related, but this only <em>barely</em> mattered to the younger As of the family. Their trade was in making furniture and the like, so my <em>musical talents</em> were a treat for them. One they didn't have to pay for. That, plus my angelic aura…<br/>
They took a liking to me. <strong>All</strong> the younger As did, even ones from other families.</p>
<p>And… I decided to <em>take advantage</em> of that.</p>
<p>I had failed in overcoming the prejudice in Illunira, but in this new dimension… Maybe it would be only one community, but it could grow from there!<br/>
So I taught these young As about the Bs -- taught them to see past their society's rigid structures into actual interpersonal relationships. And surprisingly… it worked!</p>
<p>This wasn't the first time I'd tried this. And my attempts usually failed.<br/>
In fact… they seemed to <em>always</em> fail.</p>
<p>I struggled many nights… to remember times I'd succeeded… and sometimes, I-... I just <em>couldn't</em>…<br/>
So, to see these kids -- so <strong>incompatible</strong> to each other that they could barely even <em>touch</em> one another… playing and working together?</p>
<p>It was bliss.<br/>
I'd… actually <em>helped</em> someone…!</p>
<p>I'd chosen a world… and it had <em>worked</em>…!</p>
<p>…</p>
<h3>
  <em>But OF COURSE it didn't last!</em>
</h3>
<p> </p>
<p>The older As of the community found out. The younger As had assured me nothing would come of them knowing. They didn't think we were breaking any actual <em>rules</em>.<br/>
… They'd forgotten that the ruling family <em>made</em> the rules.<br/>
<em>And could change them</em>.</p>
<p>They said our little group threatened to disrupt the "harmony" of the community -- that disrupting the structure of authority put <em>all</em> As at risk.<br/>
Something about the Bs "not doing their jobs anymore" because other professions would be "too tempting" if they were options.</p>
<p><em>Regardless</em> of their faulty reasonings, they decided our group was a threat.<br/>
So they destroyed us.</p>
<p>More than that, they <em>made examples</em> of us -- to any children that hadn't joined our group!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They killed them… All of them…<br/>
… Every last child…</p>
<p>
  <em>They made a SPECTACLE of it!</em>
</p>
<p>I just about lost my mind.<br/>
If I hadn't been restrained, <em>I'm sure I'd have killed some of those As</em>.</p>
<p>… But I <em>was</em> restrained. So I could do nothing.</p>
<p>As the "leader" of the group (I was no such thing, only its founder, but <em>as if</em> they would <em>ever</em> have believed me), they saved me for last.<br/>
They tortured me first, then killed me.</p>
<p>But I barely registered it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The thing about the summarized memories I get left with- is that they work like normal memories. As in, the more <em>impactful</em> something is, the more easily it's remembered. It has little to do with the <em>amount of time</em> something took to happen.<br/>
And most of my summarized memories at that point in my travels… They weren't pleasant.</p>
<p>Dimensions after dimensions seemed to be filled with suffering-<br/>
<em>-Oh, don't misunderstand, though!</em> There were plenty of <em>happy</em> memories too! It's just…</p>
<p>With all of Infinity at my fingertips -- infinite options, infinite possibilities…<br/>
Surely…<br/>
I could find an infinite number of <strong>paradises…</strong></p>
<p>… Right?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <span class="OpenT">Every time…</span>
  </p>
</div>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <span class="OpenT">Every time I <strong>die</strong> in one of those dimensions…</span>
  </p>
</div><p>
  <span class="Tess">Every time I come back… Those first few seconds, they…<br/>
They're spent re-living- No. No, re-<strong>remembering</strong> my memories of the life I'd just lived.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span class="Tess">And I just…</span>
</p>
<p>I guess the First Nav was… "the straw that broke the camel's back," I guess? 'Cause…</p>
<p>Or maybe it'd be better to call it the "trigger." 'Cause…</p>
<p>Because I hadn't- no. <em>No, I had</em>.<br/>
I'd been planning on doing this. Or… It <em>felt</em> that way…?</p>
<p>Maybe it was a decision I kept coming to while in other worlds?<br/>
… It must have been. Because I don't remember coming to it consciously, but it was <em>definitely</em> a decision I must have come to at some point.</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>I… I just wanted to see if it-</p>
<p>… No. That's a lie.<br/>
-I mean. Who would turn down a chance at paradise?! <em>I HAD that!</em></p>
<p>And all those worlds… It just… It wasn't FAIR, DAMMIT!!!</p>
<p>
  <em>IF THERE REALLY WERE AN INFINITE NUMBER OF VARIATIONS OF THE SAME WORLD, <strong>OF </strong></em>
  <strong>EVERY SINGLE ASPECT<em> OF A WORLD</em></strong>
  <em> ANYONE COULD EVER <strong>DREAM UP</strong>, THEN…!!!</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Then…</em>
</p>
<p>Then why <em>couldn't</em> I? … Right?!</p>
<p>'Cause… After I'd figured out how to navigate- how to <em>choose</em>…<br/>
What was <em>stopping</em> me?!</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>One thing. There was ONE other thing stopping me.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I'm a demon-eater.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Demonic" energy.<br/>
What that means. Is. Well… surprisingly <em>easy</em> to explain in this world.</p>
<p>It's "unhealthy."<br/>
… That's it.</p>
<p>
  <em>I have to absorb unhealthy energy to survive.</em>
</p>
<p>And a paradise, by definition, doesn't have any. And isn't the idea of that beautiful?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I learned quickly, during my first few travels, that the Crossroad gives the Keeper a new <em>material</em> body and a new <em>prizmal</em> one -- <em>but NOT a new <strong>spirit</strong>.</em><br/>
I had to learn the difference; that, while one's prizmal body is part of their spirit, the reverse is not true. My new prizmal bodies might have been new <em>containers</em> for my spirit -- with new limbs, abilities, and even needs…</p>
<p>But my demon-eater nature <em>was part of my <strong>spirit</strong>.</em><br/>
And I didn't want to admit that. If I did, then…</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>I told myself: <em>"I just haven't found the right one, yet. Eventually, if I look enough, I'll find a Place, a dimension, a world- where I won't </em>need<em> to absorb demonic energy anymore! I'll find my Paradise -- and I'll live in those worlds forever!"</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>… I came close, several times.<br/>
Found worlds where there didn't seem to be any demonic energy.</p>
<p>-Except I'd find it, somehow.<br/>
Would draw it out. Make people who'd never experienced anything Bad like that go through suffering for the first time --<br/>
-- <strong>OR WORSE.</strong></p>
<p>…</p>
<p>I'll tell you about <em>The One Time…</em></p>
<h3>
  <strong>… It Was Worse.</strong>
</h3>
<p>…</p>
<p>And yeah. Only once.<br/>
In a situation where I have only the barest summary of my memories -- <em>where I could live multiple, FULL lives, and think they were nothing more than hallucinations</em> -- I only needed to experience this ONCE…</p>
<p>To decide not to <em>look</em> for "paradise" anymore.</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>I…</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>I'm sorry this is getting so dark.<br/>
But… This is something you need to understand about me. Why, out of everything, THIS is my greatest fear.</p>
<p>So…<br/>
Please, just…</p>
<p>… Please keep reading. I promise it gets better.</p>
<p>I swear, most of the stories I have of my travels are <em>happy</em> things. Pleasant ones. It's just-<br/>
-I can't tell them yet.<br/>
Not really.</p>
<p>Not until I tell this one first.<br/>
So, I'm sorry but…</p>
<p>
  <em>Please keep reading…?</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Chapter 22</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <span class="OpenT">I’ll call this world…</span>
  </p>
</div>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <span class="OpenT">
      <strong>Haugh…</strong>
      <br/>
      <strong>I don’t even want to give it a name.</strong>
    </span>
  </p>
</div><p>
  <span class="Tess">I don’t want to <strong>do</strong> this…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span class="Tess">…<br/>
I’ll call it… “Scarring.” And… it was paradise.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span class="Tess">Or-<br/>
-as close as I’ll <strong>ever</strong> get.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was… <em>extremely</em> similar to the First Nav. To the point that it will be faster to tell you how Scarring was <em>different</em> from it, rather than anything else.</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>Heh… C’mon Tess. You can do this.</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>…<br/>
…It… had no countries.</p>
<p>There were no divides between people: no prejudices, no grudges, no great differences in power…<br/>
There were still As and Bs, a poisonous ecosystem and a benign, but… They’d tamed them. By working together, they’d divided the ecosystems, given each certain areas to exist, and prevented the poisonous ecosystem from overtaking the benign.</p>
<p>The Bs and As helped each other in the way they were supposed to in the First Nav: The Bs maintained the separate ecosystems, protecting the As, and the As returned the favor by taking care of the Bs other needs. But… because they worked together to accomplish this, people from <em>both</em> groups were able to take part in… more <em>fun</em> activities, like arts and sports.<br/>
No one <em>needed</em> to perform a job if they didn’t <em>want</em> to!</p>
<p>And crossbred children…<br/>
If it hadn’t been so difficult to accomplish physically, I think they might have replaced both the As and Bs.<br/>
In fact, since I can’t exactly <em>check</em>…  Perhaps they <em>did</em>, after a time. I’ll never get to see it, if so, but… I like to think they might have.</p>
<p>Aside from that, though… the two worlds were <em>identical</em>. The traits I wanted -- went looking for -- didn’t change, after all. I’d only added more.</p>
<p>There was… one… <em>unexpected</em> consequence of the As’ and Bs’ care for one another, though.</p>
<p>They realized <em>very quickly</em> that… something was <em>off</em> about my sudden arrival.</p>
<p>Children didn’t just… <em>show up</em> -- without parents to care for them.<br/>
I mean, it’s not like there were any orphans! Why would there be?!</p>
<p>So my just… <em>forming</em> was… heh, <em>conspicuous</em>, to say the least. But even so, I was welcomed and accepted by them <em>without question</em>.<br/>
I was given a place to live, any education I wanted, the chance to try all sorts of “jobs” to see what I liked… Friends and family, gifts, love and affection… They just… <em>POURED</em> it out on me!<br/>
They figured some terrible accident must have happened to cause me to be alone (they weren’t exactly… <em>wrong</em>, I suppose), so they tried to help me however they could.</p>
<p>So, I ask you… <em>How</em>, exactly… was I supposed to keep my mouth shut? When <em>literally everyone</em> was just so… so <em>NICE</em>?!</p>
<p>I doubt I need to explain it, but just in case: I generally tried to <em>not</em> tell people about me being the Keeper.<br/>
I mean, 1. They usually just decided I was crazy and wrote me off, even if I tried.<br/>
But, 2. If they <em>did</em> believe me, they… sometimes tried to <em>access</em> the Crossroad.<br/>
Which, y’know, <em>never</em> worked, since only <strong>one</strong> spirit can inhabit the Crossroad at a time. But! I’d learned there <em>was</em> a <em>slim</em> chance that they could achieve interdimensional travel.<br/>
And most people who go <em>looking</em> for power like that…? Don’t plan on doing anything good with it.</p>
<p>But these people… <em>These people</em>.<br/>
They wouldn’t abuse that kind of power! And I knew, if I told them, they <em>would</em> believe me!</p>
<p>And I was…<br/>
Honestly, I was DESPERATE at this point. Desperate for someone -- <em>anyone</em> -- to just… <em>talk</em> to. Because… Everytime I left a world…</p>
<p>Heh… I…-<br/>
<em>-It still hurts</em>.</p>
<p>I don’t just leave <em>worlds</em> behind when I die in them. I leave the people IN them, too.</p>
<p>So… I told them. About the Crossroad.<br/>
Thanks to that, I was… often invited to chat with the “leadership” of the world. And no, not the “World Leaders” -- there weren’t any countries or anything to be leaders <em>of</em>. But there was still a general <em>group</em> of people trusted to make the “big decisions.”<br/>
They told me they wanted my input because, having lived so many extremely diverse lives, I was surely “full of wisdom.” I don’t know about that, but… I chatted with them. And I gave them the best advice I could.</p>
<p>However, despite trusting them -- so deeply I risked them gaining access to such a great power -- … I still couldn’t tell them about me being a “demon-eater.”<br/>
Despite knowing that they <em>wouldn’t</em>, that they would <em>never</em> do such a thing, I… I couldn’t risk them rejecting me.</p>
<p>And so, when the time came… they didn’t stand a chance. They couldn’t defend <em>themselves</em>, and…<br/>
And <em>they couldn’t help me</em>.</p>
<p>… Not that it would have made much difference, in the end, I suppose. There is only one way to satisfy my hunger. There’s no way around it.<br/>
And no one could have guessed how it would manifest, since not even <em>I</em> knew yet. I had heard of it, but it had never happened to me before.</p>
<p>So when it did…<br/>
… Not even <em>I</em> realized what was going on.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Chapter 23</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <span class="OpenT">The first sign that things were going wrong…</span>
  </p>
</div><p>
  <span class="Tess">It was just meant to be some <strong>harmless jokes</strong>. … Toward the As. <strong>Just</strong> the As…<br/>
Friendly <strong>teasing</strong>, and nothing more.</span>
</p>
<p>My friends there… They felt a bit awkward about it -- but it wasn't a completely unheard-of thing. Friends teased each other all the time!<br/>
Just… I did it <em>more than most</em> people in that world did.<br/>
"But hey!" I think they told themselves, "She's an interdimensional being! A <em>dimensional</em> traveler! That's about as 'foreign' as it gets!" So they wrote it off. My angelic aura probably helped with that, too.<br/>
Eventually, they warmed up to my "sense of humor."</p>
<p>Despite the fact that ALL of my teasing was aimed at the As…!</p>
<p>And even the As themselves joined in on the joking. Such was their trust. And if even the As were joining in, how was anyone supposed to suspect anything was wrong? No one was asking for the teasing to stop, so surely everything was fine.<br/>
And I was a being "of great wisdom," too! So how could there be anything wrong?</p>
<p>It was unintentional.<br/>
But still. I was stubborn.<br/>
I wanted to be right -- <em>I wanted Mentor to be wrong</em>!<br/>
<em>SO badly!</em></p>
<p>I… didn't notice the change <em>consciously</em>.<br/>
But somewhere along the way, the As' and Bs' teasing and joking… the <em>small annoyances</em> and the "friendly" acts of revenge against each other…<br/>
… They changed.<br/>
Ever so slowly, it all changed into genuine <em>spite</em> and <em>distaste</em> toward one another…!</p>
<p>And, y'know… Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad, this development.</p>
<p>I could have gone up there. Absorbed the demonic energy. Regained my senses -- <em>And fixed the problem</em>.<br/>
Just like that!</p>
<p>-Except…</p>
<p>I didn't keep going up there.<br/>
-Except, I didn't <em>FEEL</em> "hungry," so I didn't <em>try</em> to absorb it all.<br/>
-Except these "friends." The ones I spent the most time with -- who suffered from my hunger the most… They were that very same group of "World Leadership."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In other words, that "Demonic Energy Flame"...?<br/>
Began in the <em>WORST</em>.</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <strong>POSSIBLE!</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>Spot.</p>
<p>And the thing about spirit hunger is, if you're hungry long enough-<br/>
<strong>-you don't feel it anymore</strong>.</p>
<p>Now, that's not as true for physical hunger. The comparison, between spirit and physical "hunger," isn't perfect. But, hopefully, you've had a similar experience to what I mean: After a nice meal earlier in the day, you're finally ready for another one. Your stomach is growling, maybe you're craving something in particular, but, for whatever reason, you don't eat. Then, maybe an hour, maybe half an hour later, you aren't hungry anymore.</p>
<p>But with physical hunger, if you give it another hour or two, the hunger comes back even stronger.</p>
<p>Not so with spirit hunger. At least, not mine.</p>
<p>Granted, my spirit will still be craving "food." But it'll stop sending those signals that tell me I'm "hungry."</p>
<p>Instead, it starts making "food" on its own.<br/>
I haven't listened, or there isn't anything available. So my spirit "takes things into its own hands," so-to-speak.<br/>
In Illunira, this wasn't a big deal. For one thing, we always had "food" available. The Dead Ones and other lower-leaders made sure of that! But also, even if I did start a Demonic Energy Flame, there were other demon-eaters who could "eat" it. Or, if it was really bad, an angel-eater could just start a rival Angelic Energy Flame to combat it!<br/>
And yet, even back in Illunira, the Balancers' Flames were so feared that the Dead Ones made certain every balancer was trained from childhood to avoid setting one!</p>
<p>So you'd think I'd have been more careful, huh?<br/>
But again, I'd never set one before. I'd never even seen one set! I had NO IDEA what it was like!<br/>
I mean. I <em>knew</em> what it was like. But only <em>in theory</em>!</p>
<p>And ignoring my hunger, in favor of enjoying the paradise,<br/>
-the friends,<br/>
-the, just… <em>beauty</em> around me?</p>
<p>It was all too easy.</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>On some level, I noticed what was happening. Of course I did. But I avoided the issue as much as possible.</p>
<p>One of my favorite pastimes on Scarring was carving statues out of some of the benign plants there. It's probably easiest if you think of these plants like trees. This hobby was something I carried over from the First Nav, I think. But instead of furniture (though I made some of that too), I mostly carved animals, or ambiguous shapes and patterns. Trying not to degrade the plant or leave poison on the end product added an extra layer of difficulty, too.</p>
<p>This let me spend a large portion of my time alone.</p>
<p>Or with random strangers that would just pass by, then leave.</p>
<p>But if I wasn't alone carving-<br/>
-then I was talking with my… friends.</p>
<p>These meetings started off fine. The earlier ones usually involved a brief: "Hey, we need some more food." "Okay. Oh, and we could use some extra hands." "Sure thing."<br/>
Followed by more personal, friendly conversations on upcoming holidays, family happenings, funny stories…</p>
<p>As time passed, more and more of the discussions would focus on resources: who needed them more, who used them better, "I thought you said we could have as much as we wanted?"<br/>
… But they'd agree. Eventually. And everything would lighten up afterwards. They'd tell funny stories. Joke about each others' stories.<br/>
… Joke about each other.</p>
<p>It was so subtle. But the personal part of the meet-ups fell away. Or, rather, as the discussions became debates, and then the debates became arguments, the line between the personal and otherwise became irrelevant. And as the meetings became less and less pleasant, they also became less and less frequent.<br/>
They started settling things through messengers instead.</p>
<p>And as I went longer and longer periods of time without those -- unconscious though they were -- "meals," the Flame I'd stoke in their spirits became more and more intense. It would last longer, spreading to more and more people. Until…</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>If I'd paid attention, maybe I'd have gotten "full" enough to come to my senses sooner.</p>
<p>I'm not sure exactly how it spread so far, but I have a few theories. Maybe the members of the World Leadership socialised with many other people. Or someone they knew did. Either way, by the time I'd reached "adulthood," the Demonic Energy Flame had spread so far, and was so intense, that the previously perfectly balanced and loving community of Scarring… fell apart.</p>
<p>The Bs felt the As were taking advantage of them; that, with the technology that had been built, more As should have volunteered to work in maintaining the environmental divide. Some even thought the Bs deserved- … Thought the Bs were superior.<br/>
And the As… They believed, since the Bs could survive in the benign environment, that there was no reason to keep the poisonous one around. That it was just an unnecessary threat.</p>
<p>There were also some who the Flame… For some people, it manifested differently. Some people who… took it out on <em>themselves</em>. Thankfully, it wasn't… as many. Or things may never have stopped.<br/>
'Cause I would never have noticed. And would never have gotten "full."</p>
<p>Eventually, there was only one thing both the As and Bs agreed on. And my friends, the World Leadership, they…<br/>
Well, of course they wanted to restore peace. To calm everyone. They'd have done anything if it meant even a temporary truce.</p>
<p>So…</p>
<p>…</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Chapter 24</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <span class="OpenT">It was another meeting with my "friends," and I still didn't realize -- or… didn't want to <strong>admit</strong> -- the truth.</span>
  </p>
</div><p>I didn't really want to go. It seemed like nothing but fighting happened there. And, as entertaining as it was to watch them throw insults at each other -- and then proceed to get all worked up when they were insulted back (Really, what were they <em>expecting</em> to happen? Haha!) -- it ALSO gave me that world's <em>equivalent</em> of a headache after only a few <em>minutes</em>.</p>
<p>But they said this one was important. And this was the first they'd held in a <em>very</em> long time.<br/>
… And I missed them.</p>
<p>When I got there, I wasn't sure where to put myself. The room had been divided in two -- As on one side and Bs on the other. I awkwardly settled into a corner between the two. The rest of the group filed in. I waited for the arguing to begin…<br/>
But it never came.</p>
<p>Evidently I'd missed something, because everyone else seemed to be on the same page already. They were just there to hash out details and make it all official.<br/>
They had decided to move all the Hybrids into one building. It seemed like it would be cramped to me, but the small size was, apparently, exactly what they were going for -- although it would take multiple "events." There was discussion of whether it would be small enough and if they'd have enough of a <em>specific</em> material.</p>
<p>It took me… <em>too long…</em> to understand what they meant.<br/>
<em>But even once I did.</em><br/>
It… It actually sounded like a <em>good</em> idea at the time.</p>
<p>I mean, it would work, right?<br/>
And I wanted that peace back just as much as <em>they</em> did, right?!<br/>
And besides… At least, back then, it actually sounded…<br/>
…<br/>
…  <em>Entertaining</em>.</p>
<p>So much so, in fact, that I agreed to help oversee the construction of the building.</p>
<p>It seemed like it was built in no time.<br/>
And was filled in even less time than that.</p>
<p>I-t-…<br/>
I-it…</p>
<p>(C'mon… I can do this… <em>I <strong>CAN</strong> do this…!</em>)</p>
<p>…<br/>
… It wasn't until <em>after…</em> after one group had already <em>burned…</em>!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The thing… about the Flames. They… The hunger doesn't stop until it's sated. <em>Completely</em> sated.<br/>
And by then… <em>BY THEN THEY HAD-!</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>…</p>
<p>I was… I was up high, on top of a platform.<br/>
Both sides, As and Bs, were watching the fire rage inside the building. Screams were coming from inside, <em>and the smell…</em> it was terrible.<br/>
But. It "made my mouth water," even as everyone else protected themselves from it, trying not to "gag."</p>
<p>And below.<br/>
They were struggling to contain the next group. That group was struggling, fighting so hard to escape. But even more than that-<br/>
-they were pleading. Begging their friends -- their <em>families</em> -- to "wake up."</p>
<p>Then.<br/>
…<br/>
One of them tried to kill me.</p>
<p>I looked down at them, only to see them <em>killed on the spot</em>.</p>
<p>
  <strong><em>That's</em> when I woke up.<br/>
And realized… <em>I was smiling.</em></strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I just <strong>froze</strong>.</p>
<p>I couldn't process it.</p>
<p>What had happened? -- <em>I knew what happened.</em><br/>
What was going on? -- <em>I'd set a Flame.</em><br/>
How…?</p>
<p> </p>
<h3>
  <span class="Tess">
    <em>
      <strong>&lt; HOW DO I STOP IT?! &gt;</strong>
    </em>
  </span>
</h3>
<p> </p>
<p>I was already "full!" I couldn't absorb any more demonic energy!</p>
<p>And I didn't have any authority. I couldn't just <em>order</em> them to stop!</p>
<p>But.<br/>
I did have <em>some</em> say.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I could leave.</p>
<p>
  <em>I needed to LEAVE!</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But… How could I?<br/>
I couldn't just leave them <em>like this</em>!</p>
<p>I had to do something. I <em>HAD</em> to do <strong>SOMETHING</strong>!!!</p>
<p>… And there was only <em>one</em> thing I could think of -- before they started to lead the next group in.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I shouted -- I waved -- I did anything so they'd hear me.<br/>
I said I wanted to make an announcement.</p>
<p>… And I managed to get their attention. <em>Everyone's</em> attention.</p>
<p>In the pause before I did anything, I could hear some of the Hybrids below cursing me.<br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Good, &gt;</em></span> I thought. <span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Blame me. Just not each other. <strong>Not anymore!</strong> &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>I wasn't exactly eloquent. But with my plan, I didn't need to be. I hoped.</p>
<p>I apologized. It was the only thing I <em>could</em> do!<br/>
… The only thing I had left.</p>
<p>And I confessed. That I'd been running from my own problems. And dragged them into it.<br/>
Confessed I wasn't some "wise traveller."</p>
<p>I told them to stop. All of it. To go back to how they were before I'd arrived.</p>
<p>And then… I <em>jumped</em>.<br/>
I fell.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I "left."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Chapter 25</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <span class="OpenT">When I got back to the Crossroad, it was like I'd lost all ability to feel.</span>
  </p>
</div><p>
  <span class="Tess">It was just… too much.</span>
</p>
<p>It's hard to tell the passage of time in there, but I must have stayed frozen for a few hours, at least.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Then I cried.</p>
<p>For not being able to reach paradise.<br/>
For causing what I had.</p>
<p>… For Angel. And all the other friends I'd never see again.</p>
<p>For everything.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I lied there for a while longer after that, just… <em>staring</em> into Prizmal. Into Infinity.</p>
<p>Not asking any questions. I didn't have any.<br/>
I just… <em>watched</em>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And thought.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I didn't consider suicide, though.<br/>
For one, that just… <em>isn't me</em>. I don't have an explanation for that, exactly. For whatever reason, that's just… not how I'm wired.<br/>
But also, Mentor had told me that the only way to die inside the Crossroad is by old age. So there was no point in trying, even if I was so inclined.</p>
<p>Instead, I taught myself. About Infinity.<br/>
I watched, felt, and absorbed as much as I could stand.</p>
<p>And discovered:<br/>
Infinite variations of infinite worlds means there is <em>infinite suffering</em>.</p>
<p>
  <em>And infinite joy.</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I'm not going to pretend like what happened on Scarring was… the <em>worst</em> I'd ever seen. Not by a long shot.</p>
<p>Honestly, it's not even the worst I've ever <strong>caused</strong>.</p>
<p>But in those cases, those horrible things happened in worlds that had seen tragedies before.<br/>
<em>Scarring</em> was a <em><strong>paradise</strong></em>.</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <strong>I had turned a paradise into a living hell.</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>And yet… What was I supposed to DO about that? I couldn't go back! I'd never be able to fix that mistake!<br/>
Oh, sure, I could "make sure I never did it again," but that's not the same!</p>
<p>It wasn't just the mistake I had made in letting myself cause a Demonic Energy Flame, it was…<br/>
I could never reach paradise.</p>
<p>How was I supposed to <em>live</em> with that?</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>Mentor had told me already: "Just do what makes you happy. There's no point in anything else."</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <span class="Mentor">
      <em>"Get used to having a broken heart, Future Heir. It's the only kind you'll ever have.</em>
      <br/>
      <em>You'll think you've gotten over it, and then it will start bleeding again the moment you see, for example, a brainwashed 'peacekeeper' forced to murder an innocent child."</em>
    </span>
  </p>
</div><p>I didn't like that. But that was because I hadn't understood. Mentor hadn't meant to do <em>only</em> the things I enjoyed. They hadn't meant to <em>avoid getting</em> a broken heart.</p>
<p>To be the Keeper of the Crossroad of Infinity is to be an explorer. And to explore means to constantly find <em>new</em> things that make me happy.<br/>
<em>And</em> that make me <em>un</em>happy.</p>
<p>To be the Keeper of the Crossroad of Infinity means to explore the infinite joy <em>and suffering</em> out there!</p>
<p>What Mentor meant… was to <em>focus</em> on the joy.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <span class="Mentor">
      <em>"It's been so long since I've seen my own homeworld… I think some of these 'alien aspects' feel more familiar to me now than the ones I was born into.</em>
      <br/>
      <em>"I wonder if that will happen to you someday? ...Probably."</em>
    </span>
  </p>
</div><p>Finding "alien aspects" that I like so much that I keep returning to worlds that have them?</p>
<p>So… What was something <em>I</em> liked?<br/>
… <em>Helping people.</em></p>
<p>Was it the guilt? … Probably. Partially. At first, anyway.<br/>
<em>But it's something that still holds true.</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>If I can't ever go to a "paradise" world, then I can at least enjoy making the worlds I go to <em>a little better</em>.<br/>
Not because it will "tip the balance" or anything -- if you add to or take from infinity, you're still left with infinity.</p>
<p>But because I <em>enjoy</em> it.</p>
<p>But also because: Wallowing in misery over something I can't change?<br/>
<strong>I just can't see <em>the point</em> in that.</strong></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Chapter 26</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <span class="OpenN">There's no wind blowing tonight.</span>
  </p>
</div><p>
  <span class="Noctu">And the sky is remarkably clear. If not for the torches, it would be perfect for stargazing.<br/>
If not for the torches, and…</span>
</p>
<p>Helsing is shaking, his eyes wider than ever, and his face twitching, not settling on any one expression.</p>
<p>Tess keeps her voice steady, low, calm. Civil. <span class="Tess">"Tell me, Abraham. When he woke, didn't your partner say anything to you?"</span></p>
<p>The pitch of his voice is all over the place, his breathing ragged, "He… He tried to convince me it was his choice. That he became that monster <em>by choice</em>."</p>
<p>
  <span class="Tess">"And you said he was lying next to his brother on the bed. Tell me, were they lying peacefully?"</span>
</p>
<p>"No… NO! He-... He must have dragged him up there- Posed his body like that! Or-! No. No, he <em>hypnotized</em> him! Just like you've done to-!"</p>
<p><span class="Tess">"-What will it take to convince you? That vampires are STILL PEOPLE,"</span> Tess's voice grows stronger -- more aggressive, <span class="Tess">"Or are you just scared of the truth -- that you killed your friend that night?"</span></p>
<p>"No! You're lying- Stop! Stop trying to convince me of your lies, <em>foul creature</em>!"</p>
<p>He lunges at Tess then, with no regard for any of the people between. In his hysterical state, he pushes them aside with ease and throws holy water from the flask at his hip.<br/>
Tess only stands there. Unmoving.<br/>
Truly panicking now, he pulls out some sacred wafers and tries again.<br/>
Still without effect.<br/>
He brandishes the silver cross at her, but still nothing.</p>
<p>
  <span class="Tess">
    <em>&lt; Of course not. </em>
    <strong>I'm</strong>
    <em> not </em>
    <strong>cursed</strong>
    <em>. &gt;</em>
  </span>
</p>
<p>"I don't understand. Are you…" His face lights up in false-understanding. His voice rises in pitch as he declares, "You're-not actually one of them! <em>You're not a vampire!</em>"</p>
<p>Tess sighs.</p>
<p>Turning into a flock of bats, she flies -- a blur to the human eye -- the few feet between them and reforms -- directly in front of him.<br/>
<span class="Tess">"I assure you, I am. Or, well…"</span> Tess's eyes smile a little, involuntarily, <span class="Tess">"I'm a dhampir."</span></p>
<p>"A… a what?"</p>
<p>
  <span class="Tess">"I'm part vampire… and part <strong>HUMAN</strong>."</span>
</p>
<p>"But… No… But that would mean…?" He takes a step back.</p>
<p><span class="Tess">"Indeed."</span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; You're smiling outright, now. &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; I really can't help it. I love it when they jump to conclusions! ~Just like <strong>he's</strong> about to.~ &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>He's screaming now.<br/>
"But that can't be! For that to happen, a vampire and a human-! It's impossible! They don't mix, they-!"<br/>
<span class="Tess">"-I have an entire village that disagrees."</span></p>
<p>Tess turns so that she can address everyone.<br/>
<span class="Tess">"Back in my home, our entire village coexists -- half of them vampires and the other humans, living together. Caring for each other,"</span> she looks back at Helsing, <span class="Tess">"Families full of both humans <strong>and</strong> humans-turned-vampires."</span></p>
<p>He's backing away. "... That's… But…"</p>
<p>Tess grins an all-tooth smile. Her voice is overly-cheerful. <span class="Tess">"You should come visit! I could give you a tour, if you like. I really think some traveling would do you good.</span></p>
<p>
  <span class="Tess">"After all, I <strong>know</strong> it has for me!"</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Chapter 27</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <span class="OpenN">As soon as Tess finishes her little monologue, Helsing drops the cross and bolts, rather ironically, like a bat out of hell.</span>
  </p>
</div><p>
  <span class="Noctu">And, following Xihrae's instructions, Tess grabs the cross, turns into bats, and flies away too.</span>
</p>
<p>Apparently staying would influence Lucy and company's conversation too much. Or something.</p>
<p>And, with that nail now solidly in the coffin -- I can't stop myself, <span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; ... Are you sure? &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Hm? &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; About leaving. &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>Tess reforms at the edge of a particular pond in the cemetery, cross in-hand. She's told me she likes this one because the way the moon and stars glisten off the water reminds her of Illunira.<br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; ... You still don't trust him, huh? You were even more nervous than <strong>me</strong> during all that. &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; Can you blame me? After everything he's done, I'm surprised you do. &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; True, Xihrae's come close to crossing the line.</em></span></p><p>
  <em></em>
</p>
<p><span class="Tess"><em>&lt; … A lot. But- &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; -But he's never crossed it, yeah yeah. &gt;</em></span><br/>
The wind has started to blow again. It breaks the reflections in the water, stirring it just enough to set the light swirling against the leaves on the trees above us.<br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; You're still jealous, aren't you? &gt;</em></span><br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; … <br/>
<span class="Noctu"><em>&lt; … I'm not. I'm just worried he's gonna break your heart someday. &gt;</em></span> <br/>
I manage to refrain from adding 'That <em>I'm</em> going to break your heart someday…'</em></span></p><p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>She smiles. <span class="Tess"><em>&lt; Heh. For a so-called "psuedo-demon," you can be awfully sweet. &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>She likes calling me that. "Pseudo-demon." Says it contrasts nicely with "demon-eater."<br/>
It's not even remotely accurate to what I actually am. "Spirit," "ghost," or even "fairy" would be more accurate. But… I agree. I kinda like how "pseudo-demon" sounds.<br/>
Or… I guess maybe it just <em>grew</em> on me. After I got used to it no longer being an insult.</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span class="Tess">
    <em>&lt; You don't need to worry. My heart's not that fragile. You, of all people, ought to know that, haha! &gt;</em>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>She likes doing this, it seems: saying something that's true, but still misleading. My guilt rising again, I remember how hard <em>I'd</em> tried to break her <strong>myself</strong> in the past. And, in fact, how her heart is actually <em>all-too-easily</em> injured.</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>… But, indeed, nearly <em>impossible</em> to fully break. And, for a moment, I'm reassured.</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span class="Noctu">
    <em>&lt; Well. I suppose you're right. And if he ever <strong>does</strong> cross that line… &gt;</em>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>Tess's smile becomes a grin. She looks at the cross in her hand; the thing this entire project had been about.<br/>
The thing that can break Dracula's curse-<br/>
-and let him roam the earth freely again. <em>Without</em> needing to return to the castle's cursed ground.</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>She stares at it, appreciating the way it seems to belong here, in the refracting, dancing light.<br/>
<span class="Tess"><em>&lt; If that happens… We'll BOTH show him what <strong>true </strong></em><strong>HELL</strong><em> looks like! &gt;</em></span></p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>And with those reminders, those reassurances…<br/>
… I set my fears aside.</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>And choose to focus on my goal.</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    </em></p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <em>
      <em></em>
    </em>
  </p>
  <p>
          <span class="OpenX">Let it be known that I'll be the <em>last</em> person to ever get offended by the term "adrenaline-junky."</span>
        </p>
  <p>
    <em>
      <em></em>
    </em>
  </p>
</div><em><em><br/><span class="Xihrae">Because what I had there, right then? That dead body in front of me?</span><br/>    </em><br/>  </em>
<p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Now <strong>that</strong> was a rush!!!</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>I knew <em>"Jacob"</em> would be difficult to kill. <em>HE</em> always is. That's what makes hunting <em>HIM</em>, fighting <em>HIM</em>, fighting <strong>alongside</strong> <em>HIM</em>-- SO fun.<br/>
And what made seeing <em>HIS</em> body --  <em><strong>Gary Sue's</strong></em> body -- lying dead at my feet so, <em><strong>so</strong></em> satisfying!</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>Granted, finding a poison that <strong>worked</strong> on him, then finding a way to <strong>use</strong> it on him -- OH, now THERE was a headache.<br/>
<em><strong>And a BORE!</strong></em><br/>
I had so many things spoiled for me because of that guy! Life after life, timeline after timeline, wasted -- and for what? To get rid of ONE DUDE?!</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Oh, </em>
  <strong>that</strong>
  <em> is something I just couldn't forgive.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p>
<p><span class="Xihrae">"Sorry about this, ol' buddy,"</span> I said, pulling the body along, <span class="Xihrae">"Really, I mean it. You know I love playing with you. It's always <em>such</em> a thrill!"</span><br/>
I only stopped pulling once I reached the hole I'd dug.<br/>
<span class="Xihrae">"But I just couldn't have you ruining this chance for me. Sure, playing with you is fun and all -- but I know I'll get to do it again! This opportunity, though?"</span></p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>I positioned the body and moved to stand beside it.<br/>
<span class="Xihrae">"I'll never get this again."</span><br/>
I shoved Gary's body -- <strong>that world's</strong> version of it, anyway -- into the hole.</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>Where it landed with a remarkably satisfying <em>thud</em>.</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p>
<p><span class="Xihrae">"And also, y'know…"</span><br/>
Finally, I picked up the shovel to start burying it…<br/>
<span class="Xihrae">"It really has been too long…"</span><br/>
Where hopefully…<br/>
<span class="Xihrae">"<em><strong>Since I've been in a war.</strong></em>"</span><br/>
… Tess wouldn't find it.</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p>
<p>And realize <strong>I'd broken my promise</strong>.</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <em></em>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
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